Bathinda, May 1
The process of Census 2011 commenced from the house of Mayor of Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) Baljit Singh Bir Behman here today.

Principal Census Officer, Bathinda (City) Ravi Bhagat, Assistant Commissioner of the BMC Nazar Singh and some municipal councillors were also present on the occasion.

The city has been divided into 461 Census blocks. Each enumerator will collect Census data from 120 households till June 15.

Bathinda Thermal Plant and the National Fertiliser Limited (NFL) factory areas have been made separate Census blocks as its own employees will collect Census data from there.

Talking to TNS over the phone this evening, Ravi Bhagat said the Census 2011 process, which began today, was the world’s largest exercise.

Bhagat also stated that the Census data had a great significance in the country’s functioning as five-year plans, annual plans and even delimitation of the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies were formulated on the basis of the Census data.

Bathinda, May 1
The May Day was observed by various organisations and institutions in the city today. Tributes were paid to the martyrs of Chicago to mark the day.

The local branch of the MES Workers’ Union observed the day under the leadership of branch president of the union Ruldu Singh here. The members of the union observed a two-minute silence to pay tributes to the martyrs.

Secretary of the union Jasbir Singh called upon the workers to observe the day every year together.

The May Day was also observed by the postal employees here. A flag was unfurled to mark the day at the city post office.

Suraj Bhan and Makhan Lal Mangal, the president and the divisional secretary of the local unit of the All India Postal Employees’ Union (Group-C), respectively, paid tributes to the martyrs of Chicago.

Meanwhile, the All India Nepalis Unity Forum (Punjab, Rajasthan United State Committee) also observed the May Day here today. They carried out a march from the Teachers’ Home to the Mini-Secretariat here. The speakers paid tributes to the martyrs at the Teachers’ Home. The programme was presided over by Gopal Ji.

The support staff of local Millennium School also observed the day in the school. A cultural programme was presented by the students at a special Assembly.

Principal of the school Beena Rao also spoke on the occasion.

The Labour Day was also observed at the St. Xavier's Senior Secondary School here. Fr. Ivo Dias, the principal of the school, lighted a lamp to mark the day.

Abohar, May 1
The much awaited railway overbridge (RoB) that was constructed at a cost of Rs 15.5 crore and inaugurated amidst thick fog by the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on January 12 in the presence of a handful of SAD supporters has become prone to mishaps, thanks to faulty connectivity of side lanes.

A scooterist was injured seriously recently as a four-wheeler hit it on the downside of the DAV College campus.

This has been recorded as 15th mishap in three months. The RoB had undoubtedly given much relief to the vehicles that remained stranded at the manned railway crossing on the state highway as more than 18 trains passed almost daily but it risks lives now.

A collision between a Bolero jeep and a car had left both badly mangled besides causing injuries to the passengers last month. More than a dozen persons got their arms/legs fractured in other mishaps.

The contractors had not provided side roads at the initial stage and later the lanes on both sides were linked with the RoB in such a manner that the vehicles get trapped in mishaps as they negotiate a turn.

Most of the streetlights fixed on both sides of the RoB are not functional at present. Publicity hoardings have been fixed on the poles without obtaining permission from the authorities.

Citizens are yet to be informed as to who governs the RoB. The space under the bridge has not so far been brick lined even.

On the canal colony side, the side lane remains encroached by automobile service and repair centers by parking of vehicles.

A citizen Rinku Watts said tipplers have many a time been noticed creating nuisance by parking cars on the RoB after 10 pm and playing stereos at high volume besides dancing also.

Abohar, May 1
Anjum Batra, a student of the Abohar-based Sparsh Theatre Society, has played a key role in ‘Please wait for half an hour’, the movie that would compete in the 63rd Annual Cannes Film Festival scheduled to be held from May 12-23. The film has been directed by Ranjan Sehgal.

Sparsh director Gaurav Vij said that Anjum’s mother initially wanted him to do his MBA but he suggested it would be better for this talented artist to try his luck by joining the department of Indian Theatre, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Anjum had been a student of the local LRS DAV Senior Secondary School.

He remembered his first participation in a folk dance in 1998 during the annual function but got fame by singing “chhalla” later.

He polished his talent while studying at the local DAV College and was given a variety of roles in dramas and short plays.

Having studied here, Anjum got a Master’s degree in theatre from the PU. He got a break in Bollywood through Anurag Kashyap’s (of Black Friday fame) movie ‘Dev-D’.

For the last few weeks, he had been busy with Sony TV’s serial ‘Crime Patrol.’ One of its important episodes based on Nitish Katara case is to be telecast on Monday. Anjum plays the role of the chief accused Vikas Yadav, the condemned son of Ghaziabad MP DP Yadav.

Earlier, he played the role of Irfan Sheikh in the episode based on Pune Waraval murder case. He had also excelled as a college boy in 100-episode Punjabi TV serial ‘Chadhiya chan samundaro paar.’

Bathinda, May 1
A 22-year-old youth has been arrested on the charge of attempting a rape on a six-year-old girl on the premises of a gurdwara here last evening.

SHO of the Civil Lines police station Gurpreet Singh said here today the police had arrested Jagmohan Singh (22), son of a granthi in a gurdwara situated in Balla Ram Nagar here.

A case under Sections 376 and 511 of the IPC was registered against him.

The SHO said the mother of the girl had reached the spot on time and raised an alarm. People gathered and the police was informed.

Sriganganagar/Abohar, May 1
While claiming to have solved the mystery shrouding the blind murder of Dr Kuldeep Singh Gill (38), a migrant from Punjab, Sriganganagar district police chief Rupinder Singh confirmed that three persons had been arrested.

They were identified as Pankaj Sharma (22), Sat Pal Suthar (21) of Ridmalsar and Sudesh Nayak of Bhoop Colony, Sriganganagar. The investigation team led by the DSP Kesari Chand Jandu worked under the supervision of ASP Mohinder Kumar Hingonia. The team could get some clues only when the parents of the deceased arrived from the US to perform last rites of the physician who was found killed on April 21 inside his house at Ridmalsar segment of the border district.

Investigation indicated that the culprits had looted cash and ornaments from the house of Kuldeep after murdering him using sharp-edged weapons. He had been living alone at the rented house.

They believed that the police would work on the theory involving close relationship of the physician with a woman. The alleged relationship had rocked the segment about a fortnight back.

Police sources said Kuldeep had received Rs 22,000 from his father Harbhajan Singh a few days back. Sudesh Nayak was believed to be the mastermind in this case who was already facing trial in three other cases. All the culprits had been driving vehicles professionally. Pankaj Sharma and Sat Pal Suthar were present during the cremation of the deceased and injury on Pankaj's hand had alerted the sleuths of the police.

Abohar, May 1
The state government had sanctioned Rs nine crore each to raise Shaheed Udham Singh Government College at Mohan-ke-Hithad village of Guru Har Sahai and the Government College for Women in Jalalabad, said Baldev Singh Mamujohia, who had recently taken over as chairman of the Punjab Backward Classes Development and Finance Corporation.

Speaking during a reception organised by Suresh Satija, circle secretary of the SAD here on Friday, Mamujohia claimed that 16 schools in Guru Har Sahai had been upgraded recently.

Expressing his willingness to contest the next Vidhan Sabha election against the Congress chief whip Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Mamujohia indicated the SAD high command was expected to bring in new faces in the 2012 Assembly elections. — OC

Moga, May 1
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has for the time being stopped the proceedings of framing of charges pending in the trial court here against two chemists who were arrested by the then inspector of the CIA-Staff Satnam Singh under the NDPS Act on January 31, 2010 for possessing psychotropic drugs.

The chemists levelled serious allegations against the said inspector of taking a bribe of Rs nine lakh, following which, he was suspended from the service and is presently facing a departmental action on the directions of the High Court.

Justice Sham Sunder of the High Court while issuing a notice of motion to the Advocate General of the state for May 20 has sought a report of action taken against the ‘extortionist’ cop from the DGP and SSP of Moga district. — TNS

Fazilka, May 1
Lila Dhar Sharma, president, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, district Ferozepur and a social activist, has been nominated as a member of Telephone Advisory Committee, Secondary Switching Area Ferozepur, by the Ministry of Communication and IT Department, Delhi. Ferozepur Lok Sabha MP, Sher Singh Ghubaya had recommended his name for the membership.

His nomination would remain valid till September, 2011. Beopar Mandal Fazilka president Ashok Gulbadhar, secretary Satish Dhingra, Shri Brahmin Sabha president Ashok Sharma, Arya Samaj Fazilka president Pardeep Arora, Sarhad Social Welfare Society Fazilka president Rakesh Nagpal have hailed his nomination. — OC