B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

First swine flu casualty in Ferozepur 
Ferozepur, December 26
The first death due to swine flu was reported in this border district today. As per information, Gurjit Singh, son of Mohinder Singh, aged 48 years, and a resident of village Ittawali, around 20 kms from the district headquarters, who was suffering from swine flu for the past few days, died in DMC Ludhiana yesterday.

Chill intensifies as mercury dips to 2 degrees C
Bathinda, December 26
As the mercury went further south during the last two days in Bathinda and its nearby places, chill intensified in the areas during the period which also experienced lowest temperature so far of this winter as the mercury recorded 2.2 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.

Gherao at any cost, says ETT union
Bathinda, December 26
Terming the advertisement, published in a section of the press on behalf of the state government today that 90 percent demands of the ETT teachers had already been accepted by the government, as an act of misguiding the people, the ETT Adhyapak Union today announced that the gherao of Badal village would be done at any cost by doing a surprise action by the ETT teachers.

Poll time arms deposit burden cops
Hanumangarh/Abohar, December 26
The Rawatsar police station in Hanumangarh district looks like a godown of fire arms. The cops have to ensure round-the-clock vigil of weapons that had been deposited by the licensees during the 2008 Vidhan Sabha elections as well as the Lok Sabha elections this year. This puts additional burden as the police have to deal with road mishaps almost daily due to foggy climate during the morning hours.
Arms and the man: Police look after fire arms that had been deposited at the Rawatsar police station during the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls. Photo by writer

Man kills uncle over land dispute
Fazilka, December 26
A sixty five years old person, Kashmir Singh, a resident of village Kathgarh of nearby Jalalabad sub-division, was allegedly murdered by his nephew in broad daylight today.

One more tests positive in Mansa
Mansa, December 26
One more case of swine flu came to light in Mansa today. According to information made available by the Health Department, Sahil Kumar, son of Pyara Lal, a resident of Kotakpura who was presently living with his relatives at Mansa, tested positive for swine flu. His blood sample was sent to the PGI, Chandigarh, for testing and the report was positive.

Activists suspended
TSU workers threaten stir
Abohar, December 26
Reacting strongly to the suspension of five senior office-bearers of the Technical Services Union (TSU) for giving corporal punishment to two sub-divisional engineers and registration of cases against them, the workers today organised meetings and warned of launching an agitation against this.

Udham Singh remembered
Abohar, December 26
The birth anniversary of Shaheed Udham Singh was celebrated with reverence here today. Senior councillor Vimal Thathai led the representatives of the NGOs in garlanding the lifesize statue of the great martyr.

Unions out in support of ETT teachers
Abohar, December 26
Most of the teacher unions today came out in support of the agitating ETT teachers by joining the protest march that was taken out through the main roads of the town here. They shouted slogans blaming the state government for pursuing anti-education and anti-employee policies.

Special project to upgrade river network
Ferozepur, December 26
The Punjab government has prepared a special project amounting to Rs 3,469 crores for the modernisation of the 14,500 kms long river network in the state besides optimum utilization of water resources and flood protection measures.

NSS sanitation drive in Abohar
Abohar, December 26
The NSS volunteers of the DAV College today took up sanitation drive in four different locations during a camp at village Malukpura, in-charge Virender Setia informed. The girl students conducted a survey in the streets before lunch hours and joined in giving the school campus a good look. Games and cultural programme was organised in the evening.

Preganant woman did not die of swine flu: Report
Bathinda, December 26
The throat sample of a six-month pregnant woman Gurbinder Kaur (28) from Rajgarh Kube village (near Bhagta), who had been admitted to the local civil hospital on December 24 as a suspected swine flu patient but died on December 25 morning at the civil hospital here, has been tested negative for swine flu by the PGI, Chandigarh.

Inter-varsity cricket tourney
Kurukshetra University beat Lucknow by 41 runs
Bathinda, December 26
Kurukshetra University defeated Lucknow University by 41 runs in the first match of the North Zone Inter University Cricket Tournament played at the local Government rajindra College grounds here today. Kurukshetra University batted first scoring 149 for the loss of nine wickets. Manoj (33) and Raman (32) were among the top scorers for their team. Mohammed Alim took 3/16, Hari Om Chaudhary 2/28 and Subodh 2/31 for Lucknow University. In reply, Lucknow University were skittled out for 108 in 31.3 overs.


A match between Kurukshetra University and Lukhnow University in progress at the Government Rajindra College in Bathinda on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

First swine flu casualty in Ferozepur 
Chander Parkash & Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, December 26
The first death due to swine flu was reported in this border district today. As per information, Gurjit Singh, son of Mohinder Singh, aged 48 years, and a resident of village Ittawali, around 20 kms from the district headquarters, who was suffering from swine flu for the past few days, died in DMC Ludhiana yesterday.

Gurjit was earlier admitted to a private hospital in Faridkot from where he was brought to the Mission Hospital here, and was finally referred to the DMC Ludhiana.

Family sources said that Gurjit's body was brought to his village in Ferozpur, and the cremation was performed straightway without bringing the body to home for traditional rituals due to medical constraints.

Already, around 38 members of his family including three kids, who had been in contact with him have started taking treatment from the team of doctors from the Civil Hospital as a preventive measure. Gurjit's son, Parminder Singh, who had come from Spain, is also one of the suspected cases and has been kept in the isolation ward of the Civil Hospital.

Earlier, three cases who had tested positive for swine flu were reported from this border district.

Another case identified as Balbir Singh of village Shrinwala is also undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

According to the health department, the doctors were keeping a strict vigil on the swine flu cases coming to the notice in the district. All possible preventive measures are being taken to prevent flaring up of this dreaded disease and a special cell has been created at the Civil Hospital for the affected patients.

Chill intensifies as mercury dips to 2 degrees C
Sudhanshu Verma
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 26
As the mercury went further south during the last two days in Bathinda and its nearby places, chill intensified in the areas during the period which also experienced lowest temperature so far of this winter as the mercury recorded 2.2 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.

Yesterday's high was 19.4 degrees Celsius, as per the Agro-MeT advisory services, PAU Regional Station, Bathinda.

On Saturday, mercury behaved almost identically and recorded 2.4 degrees Celsius at 7.30 am while the day's maximum was 20.8 degrees Celsius.

The mercury took a sudden dip on Friday and touched the 2 degrees Celsius mark as before that it was hovering between 4 and 5 degrees.

As far as the mood of weather in the coming 
days is concerned, the prevailing conditions are likely to continue.

As per the weather forecast made by the IMD, Chandigarh for Bathinda region and received by the Agro-MeT advisory services here, weather is likely to remain dry and clear. However, there are chances of ground frost in next two to three days. Temperature is also likely to fall in the period, weathermen said.

Talking about the possibility of ground frost and its implications, the director of PAU, Regional Station, Bathinda, Dr Gurmeet Singh Buttar, told TNS on Saturday evening that in such conditions it was normally recommended to farmers to go for light irrigation of sensitive crops.

"In such conditions, light irrigation would be beneficial for sensitive crops, like potatoes," said Dr Buttar. 

Gherao at any cost, says ETT union
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 26
Terming the advertisement, published in a section of the press on behalf of the state government today that 90 percent demands of the ETT teachers had already been accepted by the government, as an act of misguiding the people, the ETT Adhyapak Union today announced that the gherao of Badal village would be done at any cost by doing a surprise action by the ETT teachers.

In a press note of the union, issued here today, it has been stated that a meeting of the union was today held at an undisclosed place under the presidentship of senior vice -president of state unit of the ETT Adhyapak Union Swarnjit Singh Bhagta. Commenting on the advertisement Bhagta said that it was wrong that the government had accepted their 90 percent demands.

Bhagta said the state government by not accepting their demands was playing with the future of five lakh students.

Bhagta also said that despite atrocities on ETT teachers and sending them jails by the government, they would gherao the Badal village at any cost by doing a surprise action to force the government to accept their demands, merging of ETT teachers in the Education Department and revised grade of 10300-34800 plus 4200 to them.

Meanwhile, the Bathinda district unit of the Government Teachers Union at a meeting held under the presidentship of state vice-president of the union Sukhdev Ram Sharma here today extended support to the agitation of the ETT teachers. 

Poll time arms deposit burden cops
Raj Sadosh

Hanumangarh/Abohar, December 26
The Rawatsar police station in Hanumangarh district looks like a godown of fire arms. The cops have to ensure round-the-clock vigil of weapons that had been deposited by the licensees during the 2008 Vidhan Sabha elections as well as the Lok Sabha elections this year. This puts additional burden as the police have to deal with road mishaps almost daily due to foggy climate during the morning hours.

Interestingly, the district authorities have again directed the licensees to deposit their weapons since the model code of conduct had been enforced to conduct elections of the Panchayat Samitis. Circle inspector Bhagla Ram confirmed on Saturday that ten persons today came up to deposit the arms. As many as 99 persons who had deposited the fire arms during the previous elections had so far not turned up to take back the delivery.

A citizen Bhupinder Asija says most of the non-claimants have not been able to get their licenses renewed. Meanwhile, the authorities have warned the other licensees against delay in depositing the fire arms as the process of electioneering is on the cards now. 

Man kills uncle over land dispute
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, December 26
A sixty five years old person, Kashmir Singh, a resident of village Kathgarh of nearby Jalalabad sub-division, was allegedly murdered by his nephew in broad daylight today.

According to SHO, police station Jalalabad Sadar, Jasbir Singh, Kashmir Singh reportedly had dispute over possession of only one kanal 15 marlas of land in the village for a long period. The enmity was old. According to eye-witnesses, Kashmir Singh and his real nephew Sona Singh reportedly had quarrel over the piece of land a week back also.

Today, Kashmir Singh was going from the village to Jalalabad in the afternoon. On the way, he was intercepted by Sona Singh who allegedly inflicted injuries with sharp-edged weapons on the body of Kashmir Singh whose leg was chopped off. A seriously injured Kashmir Singh was being shifted to Muktsar for treatment but he succumbed to injuries on the way.

Jalalabad police have registered a case against the accused under section 302 of the IPC. Sona Singh is stated to be absconding. 

One more tests positive in Mansa
Our Correspondent

Mansa, December 26
One more case of swine flu came to light in Mansa today. According to information made available by the Health Department, Sahil Kumar, son of Pyara Lal, a resident of Kotakpura who was presently living with his relatives at Mansa, tested positive for swine flu. His blood sample was sent to the PGI, Chandigarh, for testing and the report was positive.

Dr Yashpal of the Civil Hospital in Mansa said that proper treatment was being provided to the patient in the isolation ward there. The other two patients who were earlier tested positive for swine flu had been discharged after treatment, he added. He said people have become aware and the health department is also laying stress on informing the public regarding the disease.

Due to the efforts of health department, people were becoming aware and avoiding assembling at public places, the doctor claimed. In most schools, morning assemblies had been stopped. Students suffering from cough and fever have been asked to stay at home for recuperation.

Meanwhile, Radical Peoples Fourm leader Jaspal Khokhar has demanded that free treatment should be given to all persons suffering from cough and fever and it would prove helpful in controlling the diseases to a large extent.

Activists suspended
TSU workers threaten stir
Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 26
Reacting strongly to the suspension of five senior office-bearers of the Technical Services Union (TSU) for giving corporal punishment to two sub-divisional engineers and registration of cases against them, the workers today organised meetings and warned of launching an agitation against this.

Baldev Singh presided over the meeting of the circle committee of the TSU at the divisional office complex of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) while a joint meeting of the sub-divisional units was held separately. Interestingly, all the accused persons were present at the meeting.

While raising slogans against the officers as well as the PSEB management, the workers demanded that suspension orders and FIR registered at the city police station should be withdrawn immediately. The union leaders tried to justify their action and asserted that the officers need to be dealt with in a similar fashion if they refuse to accept the demands of the TSU. They resolved to organise rallies at all the sub-divisional offices on Monday to press for their demands.

Udham Singh remembered
Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 26
The birth anniversary of Shaheed Udham Singh was celebrated with reverence here today. Senior councillor Vimal Thathai led the representatives of the NGOs in garlanding the lifesize statue of the great martyr.

Birth Anniversary: Senior councillor Vimal Thathai garlands the statue of Shaheed Udham Singh at Abohar. Encroachment around the memorial irks residents of the city. A Tribune photograph

The visitors resented that the local municipal council had not kept its word on removing encroachment around the memorial that is located opposite main bus stand.

During a function organised by the Punjabi Sabhyachar Manch at Tender Heart School, the chief guest SMO Dr Ramesh Verma virtually gave a bashing to some other organisations for frequently organising fashion shows and dance competitions instead of inculcating moral values and sense of patriotism among the students. He exhorted the students to develop affection for the Indian culture and live value-based life.

Unions out in support of ETT teachers
Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 26
Most of the teacher unions today came out in support of the agitating ETT teachers by joining the protest march that was taken out through the main roads of the town here. They shouted slogans blaming the state government for pursuing anti-education and anti-employee policies.

The protesters later submitted a memorandum to the local administration demanding unconditional release of all the ETT teachers who had been arrested to thwart the rally at Lambi. The joint action committee also urged the government to adjust all the ETT teachers who had been recruited on contract basis by the Zila Parishad, in the education department.

Special project to upgrade river network

Ferozepur, December 26
The Punjab government has prepared a special project amounting to Rs 3,469 crores for the modernisation of the 14,500 kms long river network in the state besides optimum utilization of water resources and flood protection measures.

The project has been sent to the Union Ministry of Water resources and Central Water Commission for the requisite approval, revealed Janmeja Singh Sekhon Irrigation Minister while talking to media persons at village Rukna Begu here today. Sekhon was here to attend a bhog ceremony in memory of Bibi Amarjit Kaur.

Sekhon said the construction work on the district administrative complex (DAC) which will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 56 crores will begin soon. He said that with the construction of the DAC, all the state government offices will function from the same place, which will save people coming from various other sub-divisions of the district for their official work, a lot of time. — OC

NSS sanitation drive in Abohar
Our Correspondent

Abohar, December 26
The NSS volunteers of the DAV College today took up sanitation drive in four different locations during a camp at village Malukpura, in-charge Virender Setia informed. The girl students conducted a survey in the streets before lunch hours and joined in giving the school campus a good look. Games and cultural programme was organised in the evening.

Preganant woman did not die of swine flu: Report
Sushil Goyal
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 26
The throat sample of a six-month pregnant woman Gurbinder Kaur (28) from Rajgarh Kube village (near Bhagta), who had been admitted to the local civil hospital on December 24 as a suspected swine flu patient but died on December 25 morning at the civil hospital here, has been tested negative for swine flu by the PGI, Chandigarh.

Talking to this reporter this evening the district health officer (DHO) Dr Dharampal Singh Sekhon said the local health authorities received the result of Gurbinder's sample from the PGI today. He said as she had been tested negative, it meant that she had died due to some other complications as she had been pregnant for six months. Besides this, the result of throat sample of Mandip Kaur (21) from Ghuda village (near Sangat) had also been tested negative.

The DHO further said that Nitin Singla (24) from Rampuraphul, who had been tested positive for swine flu, was now in good health. He had been discharged from the PGI, Chandigarh today while he reached at his home at Rampuraphul this evening, Dr Sekhon added.

Regarding Lakhbir Singh, another patient tested positive for swine flu, who is now under treatment at the local civil hospital, the DHO said he would be discharged from the hospital tomorrow as his health condition was also good and he had recovered from the disease.

Dr Sekhon said a two-and-half-year old girl Khushi from Bathinda, tested positive for swine flu, was also in good health now at the PGI, Chandigarh though she had not been discharged from there by the PGI authorities so far. Another swine flu positive patient Charanjit Kaur from Bathinda was also in good condition at the civil hospital here, the DHO added.

Inter-varsity cricket tourney
Kurukshetra University beat Lucknow by 41 runs
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 26
Kurukshetra University defeated Lucknow University by 41 runs in the first match of the North Zone Inter University Cricket Tournament played at the local Government rajindra College grounds here today. Kurukshetra University batted first scoring 149 for the loss of nine wickets. Manoj (33) and Raman (32) were among the top scorers for their team. Mohammed Alim took 3/16, Hari Om Chaudhary 2/28 and Subodh 2/31 for Lucknow University. In reply, Lucknow University were skittled out for 108 in 31.3 overs.

A batsman all set to hit ball during a match on Saturday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Earlier, the match was inaugurated by Nachchatar Singh Brar and his wife. In the evening principal Sukhchain rai garg, his wife Satya Garg and other family members graced the occasion. AK Chaturvedi of the Agra University was the observer for the match. Bathinda District Cricket Association chief Jeetmal Pradhan and secretary OD Sharma were also present.

In the other match played today, Punjabi University, Patiala, defeated NIT Jalandhar by 115 runs. Punjabi University scored 195 for the loss of nine wickets and in reply, NIT were bowled out for a paltry 80 runs The match was played at the Police Public School grounds.

In the last match played at the Railway ground, Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla, lost to Jammu University, Jammu. HPU wielded the willow first scoring 192 in their innings. In reply, Jammu University romped home with four wickets to spare scoring 193 for the loss of six wickets.