Bathinda, April 8
Contrary to the repeated claims of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister of Punjab to bring Bathinda on the tourist map soon, principal secretary, Tourism, Punjab, Geetika Kalha today termed it as a distant dream.

Kalha was accompanied by director, Tourism, Punjab, Husan Lal and various other officials. She was here to take an account of the basic requirements of all historical and tourism spots in Bathinda, for which the Union government had recently released an amount of Rs 3.44 crore.

The procured details stated that Rs 1.34 crore would be spent on the Qila Mubarak (Bathinda Fort). A sum of Rs 87 lakh was sanctioned for the historical temple located at Maesar Khana, Rs 50 lakh for an artificial heritage village —Jaipal Garh — in the city and Rs 72 lakh for the development of the Bir Talab zoo.

According to the proposal, the authorities will set up a tourist facilitation centre at the Bathinda Fort. Further, the renovation of the approach road, the parking facility, landscaping, drinking water and public conveniences at the Maesar Khana temple and upgradation of Jaipal Garh village are also included in the plan.

Visiting the Bathinda Fort, Kalha expressed a concern over the historical structure crumbling and turning into debris. She pulled up district officials as well as staff of the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) for the ill-maintenance of the Fort.

Instructing the deputy commissioner and the chief administrator of the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) to chalk out plans to improve its condition, she reprimanded the officials of the ASI, who supervise the fort.

The ASI officials replied that there was a paucity of funds and that they had only Rs 25 lakh as annual budget. She told them, “Prepare an estimate and we will discuss it with the Union government and press for the release of funds.”

Talking to TNS, Kalha said the proposal and estimate would be placed before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he would be urged to release the grant so that this prestigious monument could be preserved.

To a query regarding the scope of Bathinda coming on national/world tourist map, she said, “After witnessing this crumbling structure, do you think it can come on the tourist map?” However, she claimed that that the department would start the basic development project worth Rs 3.44 crore within two months and after completing that, an additional grant of Rs 2 crore would be sought from the Centre.

Further, she maintained that Bathinda would soon have some tourist guides who could be hired for moving in and around the city. 

Bathinda, April 8
Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal today accused the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre of having deliberately drafted the Food Security Bill in such a way so as to keep most of the poor and Scheduled Caste population of Punjab out of its ambit.

Harsimrat alleged at Sardulgarh in Mansa district that confining benefits of the Bill only to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) families identified by the Centre was a ploy to keep 99.9 per cent poor population of Punjab away. She said it was ironical that Punjab having maximum concentration of Schedule Caste population in the country, was suffering in every Centre-sponsored scheme because of the “anti-Punjab bias of the Congress-led UPA government”.

Demanding comprehensive revision of eligibility norms in the draft Bill, Badal said the norms should be modified in such a way so as to include the 14.5 lakh beneficiary families of the Atta-Dal scheme besides 35 per cent Scheduled Caste population of Punjab.

She said Punjab with the unique distinction of highest concentration of Schedule Caste and Backward Classes in its population deserved 100 per cent Centre-sponsored Special Component Plan for the welfare of oppressed classes. She said Punjab had already pleaded before the Planning Commission to keep these facts in mind and change the norms of all Centre-sponsored schemes for the state. She said that it was surprising that despite Planning Commission’s affirmative response to the demand, the Food Security Bill has again been deliberately drafted to deny rightful due to the poor people of Punjab.

Badal regretted that in the much-hyped debt waiver scheme, out of Rs 71,000 crore, farmers of Punjab got a meagre benefit of Rs 986.09 crore. She said it was ironical that farmers in Punjab were contributing 75 per cent grains to the national kitty, were given only 1 per cent benefit in the scheme.

Demanding an immediate revision of the formula for sharing central taxes with the state, Badal said Punjab would continue to struggle till its share in central taxes was raised from existing 1.35 per cent to at least 50 per cent. 

Bathinda, April 8
The high chances of statewide protests against the unbundling of the PSEB, which is expected to take place in the second half of this month, have been giving sleepless nights to the authorities concerned.

To thwart any untoward incident, the Bathinda administration is not only chalking out precautionary measures to curb the agitators but also arranging for back-up staff of the PSEB at all workplaces.

Besides constituting coordination committees at district and sub-division level, control rooms have also been set up, which would work round-the-clock. The district committee will be headed by the DC while the SDMs will lead the sub-divisional committees. These committees will include police and PSEB officials.

Intelligence wings have been asked to revise the details of all persons, who may lead or participate in the agitations. The administration has decided for the preventive arrest of all who were suspected of disturbing the law and order.

Complying with the government’s order, the district magistrate Bathinda today asked the SDMs to make all arrangements for starting Theekri Pahras (Patrolling by villagers) in all villages from where the transmission lines cross.

Villagers assigned with the duty of Theekri Pehras will hold the patrolling in the village throughout the night and if anything happens, they will have to immediately inform the control room and other villagers.

In a meeting held here today, the district magistrate asked the police to provide vast security cover to all transmission lines, equipment and work stations of the PSEB.

Finding the PSEB officials apprehensive that the agitators may target their residence, the district magistrate immediately asked the SSP to provide security cover to their residential colonies also.

Moreover, a large number of cops will patrol and hold flag march to instill confidence among the public.

Besides, some “highly confidential” issues related to modus operandi of the administration to check the agitators were also discussed in the meeting.

Speaking to this correspondent, the district magistrate, Bathinda Gurkirat Kirpal Singh said, “We have been working upon various strategies to ensure the government’s decisions get peacefully complied with.”

“As of now, I can not divulge more details as various issues have been kept secret from the security point of view,” he said.

Moga, April 8
Arrival of wheat has begun at Moga. However, the department of food and civil supplies has so far not awarded the contract of labour for lifting the produce of the farmers.

As per the details, five contractors had filed their tenders on April 3 before the office of the District Food and Supplies Controller (DFSC) giving their bids for providing labour to the state-owned five procurement agencies to lift the wheat from the grain market to their storehouses.

No matter, these tenders were opened on the same day by the department but even after five days, the contracts had so far not been awarded to any of the bidders.

Baljinder Singh, DFSC of the Moga district, when contacted ,admitted that the tenders for labour work had not been finalised as on date but the negotiations for rates were likely to be finalised in a couple of days.

Abohar, April 8 
While inaugurating purchase of wheat in the new grain market here today, Balluana MLA Gurtej Singh Ghuriana assured that adequate arrangements for lifting of wheat bags and payment thereof by the government agencies would be monitored. The government had fixed a target for purchasing 30 lakh quintal of wheat through different agencies in Abohar sub-division this year. The purchase today was made at Rs 1,100 per quintal. — OC

Abohar, April 8 
Hundreds of the CPI (M) workers today took out a protest march in most of the towns in Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar districts to express resentment over skyrocketing prices. 

A woman constable had to feel sorry for casting aspersions on the female participants in the procession at Hanumangarh.

The protesters tried to crash the gate to force entry in the district collectorate and more than 500 including women courted arrests. 

Sensing trouble senior police officers rushed in and averted the clash by asking the constable to feel sorry for her conduct. They were released in the evening after completing proceedings under section 129 of the CrPC. — OC 

Jhoke TehalSinghwala (Ferozepur), April 8
Regular prayers have been started in religious places of this village and its surrounding areas for the safe release of all the 17 Indians, who are lodged in jail after death sentence was given to them by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) court by holding them guilty of murdering a Pakistani national.

Amrit Pal Singh, member, Naujawan Sabha, said that a section of women of this village had started reciting Sukhmani Sahib Path everyday at the local Gurudwara for the safe release of all the Indian from the UAE jail ever since they came to know that a local boy Dharampal was among the victims. “Our sabha is also organising Akhand Path so that the Almighty comes to the resue,” he added.

Ravi Dutt Chawla, a political activist of the area said that prayers were being held in the temples on a regular basis for the safety of those, who were facing gallows without any fault. Dharampal, father of two children, who left for the UAE in search of greener pastures, landed in jail about a year ago and was subsequently sentenced to death along with 16 other Indians (most of them hailing from Punjab) by the UAE court on March 29.

“I went to Amritsar to pay my obeisance at the Golden Temple and for seeking pardon for my son,” said Kulwinder Singh, mother of Dharampal, adding that she along with her husband Paramjit Singh, son Jagdeep Singh and daughter-in-law, Ranjit Kaur (wife of Dharampal) had also been meeting prominent leaders of Punjab for their help.

Jagdeep said that by the grace of god, a movement had started building up in northern India in support of Dharampal and others and he was hopeful that the prayers of the people would be answered.

Meanwhile, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Congress MLA, who visited Dharampal's house today, offered his parents all possible financial help to visit the UAE to meet their son. He said that he had already taken up the matter with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and diplomatic channels had been activated to save the lives of Indians.

Bathinda, April 8
Relatives of a local, Pirthi Chand (35), who died today during treatment at a nursing home here, accused the doctor of causing his death.

However, as per the SHO of Civil Lines police station Gurpreet Singh, both the parties reached a compromise later, so no complaint was lodged with the police by the kin of the deceased.

Raj Kali, the sister of Pirthi Chand, said her brother, who is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter, was a labourer and had been admitted to the nursing home the previous evening for after he complained of breathing problem and fever.

She also said her brother was okay the previous night, but died today in the morning. Sita Devi, a sister-in-law (brother’s wife) of the deceased, said the doctor had not told them he was so serious, otherwise they would have taken him to Ludhiana or elsewhere for treatment. On the other hand, Dr Amit Taneja, who attended to the patient, said Pirthi was alright the previous night, but today he complained of pain in the abdomen and vomited three-four times. He said as the patient had been suffering from some problems, so they put him on a ventilator. He might have died of cardiac arrest. However, the real cause of the death could be ascertained only after the post-mortem examination, he added.

The police, including the DSP (City) Devinder Singh Brar and the SHO Gurpreet Singh, reached the nursing home. They talked to the doctor and the kin of the deceased. The DSP said after recording the statement of the father of the deceased, the police would get the post-mortem examination conducted as the family had suspected negligence on the part of the doctor as reason behind the death of their kin.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 8
Four persons including two women were killed while eight persons sustained injuries in a road mishap as a Scorpio collided head-on with a tractor-trailer during the wee hours today.

Another death was reported in a mishap from the Gharsana area of Sriganganagar.

As per the report lodged at the Ratangarh police station by Usman Ghani of village Rajaldesar on Thursday, the victims had hired a Scorpio to visit village Ramgarh in Sikar district.

As the vehicle was passing near village Tidiyasar, a tractor-trailer allegedly hit it head-on resulting in the death of Yunus and Kalu on the spot.

The police rushed in and dragged out the injured persons from the badly mangled van.

Two women identified as Ashiya and Jannat succumbed to injuries after they were admitted to the Ratangarh hospital.

Meanwhile, eight more are undergoing treatment. However, their condition was stated to be stable.

In yet another mishap, one Hoshiar Singh of village 3GD of Gharsana area was killed when an unidentified vehicle hit the jeep by which he was travelling today.

The cases have been registered in connection with both the mishaps under section 279, 337 and 304A of IPC, police sources said. 

Ferozepur, April 8 
Gurbax Singh, a local resident, has allegedly committed a fraud with a litigant, whose case was pending in the district courts here, by claiming that he would get his work done from the judicial official concerned in lieu of money.

He took Rs six lakhs from the litigant to get his work done by Baldev Singh Sodhi, additional session judge, district courts, Ferozepur, police said. Sources added that a case was registered against Gurbax Singh under sections 406 and 420 of the IPC in the city police station here when the matter was taken up with the SSP by the district and session judge. SPS Parmar, SSP, said that he had entrusted the investigation to Joginder Singh, DSP (H). — TNS

Fazilka, April 8 
The senior police officials may have well performed their duty by suspending the SHO in-charge police station Sadar Fazilka, inspector Baljit Singh and booking two junior police personnel for dereliction of duty but the facts tell a different story.

Heroin smuggler, Lakhbir Singh, escaped while in police custody on April 5 by breaking the window of dilapidated more than three decade old police station lock-up. This correspondent visited the site and noticed that the window comprised an old wooden frame with iron bars fitted in it. 

The iron bars were loose as the wooden frame had been virtually rendered hollow by termites. This fact helped the culprit. The other side of the aspect is that according to police norms, an ASI along with at least half a dozen police officials comprising night duty sentry are on vigil in every police station to check the activities of the persons lodged in the lock-up during the night.

Notably, two police officials including a night munshi and a Punjab home guard constable were primarily held responsible for the escape of the smuggler and booked. 

Subsequently, the senior police officials suspended the SHO Baljit Singh who was off duty that night. 

District Planning Board member Ashok Kumar, who is also the district organising secretary of the SAD (Badal), Raj Kishore Kalra, president of a leading NGO Social Welfare Society, Paramjit Singh Shera, sarpanch of village Rana, Satish Kumar Dhingra, state secretary, Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal, Navdeep Asija, general secretary, Graduates Welfare Association, have strongly condemned the arbitrary suspension of inspector Baljit Singh without conducting a comprehensive and factual inquiry into the escape episode. They have demanded that Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal and the Director General of Police should immediately revoke the suspension of Baljit Singh.

Moga, April 8
The SSP of Moga Snehdeep Sharma has suspended the SHO of Badhni Kalan police station inspector Darshan Singh and his subordinate ASI Tara Chand for negligence in duty and ordered a departmental inquiry against them.

Revealing this to The Tribune, the SSP said that there was a complaint against them that they had not added section 307 of the IPC in a particular case, in which, a young girl Anjali Rani was badly injured by a youth of her village with sharp-edged weapons on April 2 at village Raoke Kalan. The girl is battling between life and death in the hospital.