|
|
|
|
Water woes |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Here, filth flows into reservoir
3 trucks carrying liquor seized
Ruckus at Balluana station
Rose Garden turning into haven for drug addicts
Khalsa College elections
DAV principals flay shifting of post office from campus
Bangla nationals to be pushed back by BSF
Financial aid for poor patients announced
malwa diary
Land dispute
|
|
Midsummer nightmare!
Supply may fall short as demand soars in scorching heat Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service
Bathinda, April 18 The drinking water supply in the city is being maintained by the Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board (PWSSB) on behalf of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC). The drinking water is being supplied by the authorities to a population of 2.34 lakh through 495-km long pipelines in the city. The shortage of drinking water will have to be borne by the residents at least till the end of September this year as the authorities are nowadays busy in installing a new drinking water supply plant, having a capacity of about 14 million litres, by way of constructing five water works and five underground water tanks. Regarding low or unequal water supply pressure in the city, the topography of the city is being held responsible as some localities like the Fort area, Nander Nagar and Amrik Sing road, are situated at higher places while some areas like Ganesha Basti are situated at lower places. However, the PWSSB receive complaints, regarding contamination, every month. They also receive about 75 complaints about leakage in supply pipes in a month. It is stated that the leakage complaints are being received by authorities as in several areas, either the pipes are old or are rotten due to one or the other reason. When contacted, the executive engineer (XEN) of the PWSSB, Jagdev Singh, admitted that the drinking water supply at present was not sufficient for the city. This was the reason that they were installing a new plant at a cost of Rs 3.85 crore in the city. He said 90 per cent civil work of this plant had already been completed while the work would be completed by September 30. However, the health authorities collected 31 water samples from January to March this year of which two, including one taken from a hotel, failed the test while the results of 14 samples are awaited. These were collected from head waterworks, a factory, ITI, the Housefed Colony, an engineering college, Mini-secretariat and two hotels. (To be continued)
|
||
|
3 trucks carrying liquor seized
Bathinda, April 18 Though the officials refused to divulge details and kept on saying that the “matter is under investigation,” it remained the talk of the town the whole day. Police sources informed that the trucks were on their way from a distillery located at Banur to supply the liquor in Abohar. Acting upon a tip-off, a team of excise and taxation officials intercepted a truck and took it to the Thermal police station. Interrogating the driver, officials got a lead and nabbed two more trucks following it. Following information, various ET officials reached the spot and started verifying the documents, in the possession of the truckers. Police sources disclosed that as per the preliminary investigation, the liquor was supposed to reach the godown of L-13 at
Ferozepur. However, the trucks were plying to Abohar, which could have been a move to evade a heavy excise duty, calculated possibly in lakhs, the cops apprehended. It was also said that the liquor, in question, belonged to a renowned person of Ferozepur district, having political connections. However, replying to media at the police station, the ET officials said that they had called for the related documents from Banur. A late report informed that sensing the gravity of the situation, the commissioner, excise and taxation, Punjab, took the investigation in his own hands. He summoned the authorities of the distillery to produce all related documents before him on Monday and also called the ET sleuths of Bathinda to join the probe there. |
||
|
Ruckus at Balluana station
Bathinda, April 18 Post Commander, RPF Bathinda, MK Panwar, told TNS on Sunday that action against the accused would be initiated soon. The force had been in contact with the senior officials of the department in this regard, he added. The RPF had on Saturday registered a case against 100 unidentified persons under several sections of the Railway Act. As per the RPF sources, labourers who have been working for a railway contractor created ruckus at Balluana station and manhandled the TTE after being fined by them for ticket-less travelling. The RPF has registered case against 100 unidentified persons under the Railway Act under sections 141 for pulling chain, 145 creating nuisance, 146 obstructing railway employees in working, 153 causing threat to life to train passengers — it is a non-bailable offence — and 174 for disrupting rail movement, RPF sources said. |
||
|
Rose Garden turning into haven for drug addicts
Bathinda, April 18 Though the authorities have recently spent lakhs on its facelift, people avoid going there after darkness descends and do not prefer to send the womenfolk of their families there even during the day time. The garden is spread in a couple of acres of land but the administration has never bothered to initiate police patrolling there to check the free movement of drug addicts and miscreants. “We are regular visitors to the garden but feel a bit insecure as some youth, who appear to be dubious character, keep moving here. Moreover, they pass sarcastic remarks at the visitors,” said Parmod Goyal, who was having an evening walk with his wife and daughter. A middle-aged women Sunita Kansal said, “The garden is very beautiful but its only weak point is lack of security personnel. Once the administration deputes security guards there, it will instill confidence among the visitors.” Seeking anonymity, a rehri wala (ice-cream vender) there informed that about three days back, a group of youths had tried to snatch a gold chain from a girl. “The girl immediately raised an alarm and the youths fled but no policeman reached the spot,” he added. An employee of the parking contractor, Sukhpal Singh, also admitted to the presence of miscreants in the garden. However he maintained, “Whenever people complain about the presence of miscreants or drug addicts, we
go there to check the menace.” When contacted, Commissioner, Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC), Ravi Bhagat said, “It was not in my knowledge but I will now try to engage some policemen or the staff of private security agencies to make people feel comfortable.” |
||
|
Khalsa College elections
Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 18 The affected group alleged yesterday that the group led by Surjit Singh Kang had affected an amendment in the constitution of the managing committee on March 31, 2007 but it was kept as a closely guarded secret. They were caught unaware as the returning officer
rejected 11 nomination papers on Saturday stating that trimmers were not eligible for contesting the much awaited election. The original constitution was scripted in 1972 that empowered any Sikh, who has accepted that Guru Granth Sahib is supreme, was eligible for contesting the election. The amended constitution is yet to be approved by the registrar for firms and societies, they asserted. While refusing to contest the rejection in the court of law, they said let the court of Sikh Sangat decide it. The state government has cleared that only the life-members would be allowed to exercise their franchise on April 25. Earlier, the elections were allegedly rigged by enrolling fresh members against nominal payment of Rs 60 only. Now, the total number of voters has been reduced to 1084. SDM Narinder Singh has been nominated to
supervise the elections, sources said. |
|
DAV principals flay shifting of post office from campus
Abohar, April 18 The superintendent of the post offices, Ferozepur division, has conveyed that the postmaster general had directed that the sub-post office located at the DAV College should be merged into another sub-office recently. The present mail arrangement in the campus has also been discontinued. Dr BB Sharma, Dr Venita Singh, Dr Neelam Arun Mittu, principals of the DAV College, DAV College of Education and Gopi Chand Arya Mahila College, respectively, had faxed letters to the chief PMG resenting that the decision would affect more than 6,000 students, teachers besides residents of the neighbouring localities. Regretfully, the PMG took such an unwarranted step even when the campus had provided free building equipped with generator facility and free supply of electricity for the sub post office, they said. The sub-post office had been opened 40 years back and proved very useful as well as financially viable for the department. Maximum number of postal orders were sold by the sub-post office and hundreds of students used to send their examination forms under
registered cover. They would have to make a beeline at the main post office now that are already heavily burdened with work. |
|
Bangla nationals to be pushed back by BSF
Sriganganagar/Abohar, April 18 Six Bangladeshis were recently shifted from different jails to the district headquarters at Sriganganagar. Two of them identified as Amir Hussain (38) of Abu Gunja of district Bhola and Kamrul (26) of village Samadpur (district Jagnandpur) were taken by the Udyan Abha Toofan Express to Howrah recently by a five-member police team headed by ASI Pyara Singh. They were arrested last year at different places and had reportedly revealed during the interrogation that unidentified agents had promised them jobs across the border after they succeed in sneaking into the Sriganganagar region. Intelligence agencies had found none of them as a suspect, it is said. |
|
Financial aid for poor patients announced
Ferozpur, April 18 On the occasion, Parminder Singh Pinki, general secretary, PPCC, was the chief guest. Philanthropists including NRI from Canada Vikas Dhawan who was the guest of honour announced financial assistance to the society. Pinki lauded the effort of the society and announced financial help to conduct eye operations of the poor patients. —
OC |
|||
|
malwa diary
When Harchand Ram, along with a number of Hindu families descended on this sleepy village situated on Sriganganagar-Hindumalkot road, from Pakistan about 18 years ago, they faced huge problems pertaining to social and economic aspects.
For a few months, they had to survive on the help extended to them by 35 Hindu families, which migrated to this place in 1971from Pakistan. Today, Harchand Ram and members of families of his brothers are not only famous in this region of Rajasthan but in other parts of India and in countries like Canada, England and the United States (US). “People come to buy juttis, from places like the US, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand whenever they come to India on vacation or other occasions,” said Harchand Ram adding that they had been manufacturing juttis with embroidery over its upper area with Jari, Tilla and silk thread. “Even senior civil and police officials of Northern India have become our permanent customers. We have manufactured juttis for the chief ministers of Rajasthan, leading politicians of the country and for a section of Bollywood stars,” he claimed. However, they are disappointed as they think they are being treated as second class citizens despite the fact that they have been granted Indian citizenship many
years ago. — Chander Parkash Award for DAV College lecturer
Jatinder Singh, fine arts lecturer at the DAV College of Education, Abohar, is among those artists who have been finally selected for awards this year by the All India Fine Arts Academy. About 17,000 entries were received, of which 350 were shortlisted. The news came in during the inauguration of the three-day exhibition of paintings and graphic prints. Those visited the exhibition included a former vice-chancellor Prof KK Sharma, Dr Jasbir Chahal, dean department of education in Panjab University, Dr SD Singh and Dr DR Vij, national convener and chairman of the Council for Teachers Education. — Raj Sadosh |
|||
|
Farmers on the warpath over wheat harvesting
Tribune News service
Ferozepur, April 18 To prevent the situation from taking an ugly turn, the district administration has set up a joint post of the Punjab police, BSF personnel and revenue officials to provide a safe passage to those outside farmers, who are entitled to harvest the wheat crop from those pieces of land, which are in their possession as per the revenue record. While the local farmers have armed themselves with wooden sticks and sharp-edged weapons and laid down ‘nakas’ on various points to stop the outsider farmers from entering the fields to harvest the ripened wheat crop, the outsider farmers have been seeking help from the civil and police authorities to cut their crops. To show their anger over the alleged attempts being made by certain influential persons to usurp hundreds of acres of agricultural land, situated between the zero line of Indo-Pakistan border and barbed fencing near Border Observation Post (BOP) of DT Mal, hundreds of residents belonging to border villages Bhambha Haji, Rohela Haji, Gandhu Kilcha, Nihala Kilcha and Dona Telumal have been holding protests at regular intervals. KK Yadav, Deputy Commissioner (DC) said a committee headed by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) had already been constituted by him to solve the issue forever by examining all the documents connected with the status of the land where the agricultural operations were being carried out by the local and outsider farmers. He said those farmers, who were in real possession of land as per the revenue record and who had sown the wheat crop, were being allowed to harvest the wheat crop. A section of the local farmers were trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere with the ulterior motive of getting a share in the wheat produce from the outside farmers by using such activities as blackmailing tactics, he said.
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Bathinda, April 18
Rose Garden-the so called pride of Bathinda-has virtually become a haven for miscreants and drug addicts.
Perhaps due to the oversight of the authorities, no security personnel is deployed there in the evening and finding it suitable for anti-social activities, a large number of miscreants have adopted the place as their second home.
Though the authorities have recently spent lakhs on its facelift, people avoid going there after darkness descends and do not prefer to send the womenfolk of their families there even during the day time.
