Bathinda, May 13
After making Asia’s biggest junction hi-tech by commissioning the Route Relay Interlocking system, the railway has now speeded up its efforts for upgrading passengers’ amenities at Bathinda station.

Working on several plans in this regard, the department has apparently first of all decided to fulfill passengers’ wish to have a shopping complex on the premises of the station. The commuters’ dream is not far from reality as the proposal to construct a Multi-facility Complex has got a green signal from the higher authorities concerned.

Next, commuters’ wish to have direct approach to platform has also got a room in the plan book of the department. A proposal for Rs 12-crore plan to construct platform on the side of the Post Office Bazar here has been moved by the Ambala division, disclosed divisional railway manager YP Singh today on the sidelines of a safety seminar-cum-prize distribution function held at the Railway Institute here.

The DRM said the multi-storey building would house many shops, including bookshop, saloon, canteen and others points of utilities besides a parking complex on the ground floor. He said the proposal had already been sanctioned, only a green signal for the proposed area was awaited.

About the inconvenience being faced by the passengers due to virtual absence of coolies, Singh said efforts to provide porters had been made. He added the division was also contemplating providing trolleys at the station besides a proposal for installing escalator and lifts had been sent for the approval. Singh said escalators and lift would not only help senior citizens and women, but physically challenged too.

Earlier, the DRM along with other senior officials of the Ambala division took part in the seminar and vowed to continue according top priority to safety and safe running of trains.

The DRM also handed over cash awards to over 100 railway staff for completing the RRI work well before the stipulated time. The Northern Railway had decided to award the staff for their untiring efforts that lasted nearly a month.

Speaking on the occasion, senior divisional safety officer Nar Singh while emphasising the need for safety said where there was will there was a way.

Station superintendent (SS) Rajpura DK Singh explained about fire safety while SS Bathinda SN Rai delivered welcome speech. DSS Rajesh Sharma and others conducted the function. SDE (II) Neeraj Bhandari, SDOM Karn Singh, SDME RK Tayl, ATM Sher Singh and other officials were also present during the function.

Abohar, May 13
The authorities have not made efforts to drag out the dead dog that had been floating for the past three days in the water tank of the old waterworks located opposite of the main bus stand here.

More than half of the population in this sub-divisional town is supplied water from this complex.

Some citizens who have been visiting the waterworks daily had noticed the animal on Tuesday and informed the civic authorities immediately but none bothered till today.

The media persons found this afternoon that bones and wings of birds and animals that are slaughtered at the hotels located around the Shaheed Udham Singh memorial also lay scattered around the water tank.

The water course that supplied canal water to the tanks was found partially blocked as garbage including used polythene bags had accumulated. “This is not unprecedented; we had many a time spotted dead fish and animals in the tanks. What to talk of the boundary wall, the finance strapped Municipal Council had not even erected barbed wire fencing to protect the waterworks,” Kulbhushan a resident of the neighbouring locality said. — OC

Bathinda, May 13
Despite the efforts made by the administration, the residents of Bhai Bakhtaur village kept the high school of the village locked for the third consecutive day today. They were protesting against the proposed transfer of regular teachers of the school and appointment of contractual teachers in their place under the Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikhsha Abhiyan (RMSA).

According to information available, the villagers also staged a dharna during school hours in front of the gate of the school.

District education officer (Secondary) Harbans Singh Sandhu along with other officials reached the dharna site and held a meeting with the members of the “Sarkari Vidiya Bachao Action Committee” to find a solution to the problem. The officials reportedly put pressure to open the lock of the school, but the members of the action committee refused to do so till a solution to the problem was arrived at.

District secretary of the CPI Jagjit Singh Joga said the action committee had given its view point to the DEO (Secondary) in writing. He said it was now up to the administration to look into the matter and resolve the problem.

When contacted, DEO (S) Harbans Singh Sandhu said the ADC (General) would hold a meeting tomorrow with the sarpanches of Sidhana and Bhai Bhakhtaur villages to resolve the issue. He would also participate in this meeting, he added. 

Zira (Ferozepur), May 13
Shavinder Kaur Jauhal, former president, Istri Akali Dal and member, working committee of the ruling SAD (B) while expressing deep concern over the sorry plight of the government-run schools, urged the state education minister to fill up the vacancies of teaches at the earliest.

“The hollowness of the state education department in connection with raising the standard of education in the state is clearly visible from the fact that Adrash schools are being opened but teachers are not appointed in already existing schools,” she pointed out while talking to TNS after presiding over a meeting of various NGOs held here today under the banner of NGOs Coordination Committee, Zira.

“We will approach the education minister requesting him to fill vacant posts of the teachers at the earliest,” she said adding that entrusting of duties connected with census to the teachers had adversely affected the education at the government run schools.

The state health authorities had also been urged to post doctors of different specialisations in different hospitals dotting this region so the medical care could be given to people at their doorsteps.

Chand Singh, president of committee, said that efforts would continue to improve the condition of the government- run hospitals and schools in this region. 

Bathinda, May 13
The local Millennium School has launched a community service programme with a project “Spread a smile”. The school today organised a function for children of the Phulkari Club in collaboration with The Art of Living. On the occasion, the school staff and students donated clothes, toys and stationery items. The students of the Millennium School and children of the Phulkari Club performed and danced together.

The school staff and the students took a pledge to “Spread joy and happiness wherever and whenever they can” and started a signature campaign with a message “Life diminishes, if not kindled or shared”.

Principal of the school Beena Rao called upon the students to spread happiness in the world. She also said the Millennium School would implement more community projects in future to inculcate moral values among the students,Millennium School launches “Spread a smile” project. — TNS

Bathinda, May 13
They have expertise in moulding life of their kids, and they are equally deft in many other things. Whenever the time comes, these Bathinda mothers do exhibit that they are at home not only in dance and games, but for them a catwalk is also a cakewalk.

This and much more was on display at the stage of the Lord Rama Public School, Bathinda, today when the students along with teachers celebrated Mothers' Day and acknowledged the role of mother in life.

Finding the opportunity to spare time from daily chores, these mothers also let their hair down and showed hidden talent and went away with awards besides kudos.

While Komal bagged the title of most active mother, Monica grabbed the confident mother award, Sarika was declared most charming and the best mother 2010 award was conferred on Priya.

Earlier, the two-hour long party began with a devotional song and prayers, and later games for mothers were also organised.

Members of the school management committee, including president Chiranji Lal Garg were present on the occasion. Principal Suraj Setia thanked all for participation. — TNS

Bathinda, May 13
Harsimrat Kaur Badal, MP from Bathinda, today held ‘Sangat darshan’ in six villages, namely Bhokhra, Ballahar, Vinjhu, Goniana Khurd, Goniana Kalan and Jeeda of the Bhucho Assembly constituency of this district. On the occasion, she distributed cheques worth Rs 28 lakhs for the development works in these villages.

In her address, she said there would be no shortage of funds for the development works in the villages. She said with the financial assistance of the state government, the Bathinda Parliamentary constituency was being made a model constituency. At Goniana Mandi, she flagged off an ambulance van of a youth club.

Harsimrat was accompanied among others by Deputy Commissioner Gurkirat Kirpal Singh, SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill, SDM KPS Mahi, DTO Amandeep Bansal, district development and panchayat officer (DDPO) Parampal Kaur, Gurpreet Singh Maluka, Gura Singh Tungwali and Lakhwinder Singh Lakhi.

Bhai Bakhtaur (Talwandi), May 13
Fed up with the hassles involved in cultivation of grains and cotton, Basakha Singh, a small farmer here, has switched over to horticulture and vegetables in this area that has so far been known as the cotton belt of Bathinda.

On his landholding of about 5 acres, Basakha Singh this time decided not to sow paddy or cotton and instead go in for cultivating vegetables on 2 acres and grapes and guava on the remaining land.

He has already cultivated vegetables on one acre and sells the produce on the roadside. Several other small farmers have decided to follow him, as cultivation of vegetables and horticulture was less cumbersome than the traditional paddy, wheat and cotton. Grapevines and guava plantation spreading on the agriculture land are visible in the area.

Basakha Singh said that he was these days daily earning about Rs 200 by selling seasonal vegetables. The earning would increase to about Rs 500 per day when guava ripens in his orchard that he had laid on experimental basis a few years ago.

Another farmer, Gurnam Singh, has preferred growing grapes, as there were lots of hassles in cultivating grains right from the stage of sowing to selling the produce in the market.

Jasbir Singh, a farmer of Burj Mansa, lamented that the government has failed to check sale of spurious Bt cotton seed in the area. The farmers were suffering loss as nearly 30 percent of the spurious seed fails to sprout.

Several other farmers complained that a packet containing 450 grams of cottonseed that should sell for around Rs 450 was being sold in black to farmers for anything between Rs 1200 to Rs 1500.

The certified seeds produced by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) were not available.

They pointed out that sowing of cotton would get delayed as the government has announced closure from May 15 to June 5 of the Kotla branch of the canal that irrigates the area. Long stretched power cuts have also become a headache for the farmers who were unable to draw water from tube wells.

Most farmers in the area were confused over the choice of paddy variety they should sow this time. The PAU 201 variety had created lots of problems for them last season as the Food Corporation of India (FCI) refused to lift the produce.

However, the grain was finally lifted after efforts of the state government and intervention of the Prime Minister. This time there was no certainty whether the FCI would lift the produce or not, the farmers say.

Bathinda, May 13
Despite 13 days of continuous agitation throughout the state since May 1 by Anganwari workers and helpers, as the Punjab government has been turning a deaf ear towards their main demand of enhancement in their monthly honorarium on Haryana pattern, the Anganwari Mulazam Union Punjab, led by its state president Hargobind Kaur, has convened a meeting of its state executive in Bathinda on May 16 to change the way of the agitation.

Sources told TNS today that this time, the agitation path would be a different.

On the condition of anonymity, a leader of the union said the union might take a harsh decision to compel the state government to accept their main demand.

She indicated that the Anganwari workers and helpers might gherao the chief minister, the deputy chief minister and the Bathinda MP after May 16 whenever they visited Bathinda areas.

The union had started an agitation programme from May 1 to reach the residence of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal at his native Badal village to start a relay fast there in support of their demand.

But every time, the police foiled their programme by way of arresting them or detaining them in various parts of the state.

When contacted, state president of the Anganwari Mulazam Union, Punjab, Hargobind Kaur told this reporter today that in the meeting of the union on May 16, the entire state executive comprising 51 members would take part.

Bathinda, May 13
In a shake-up in the police set-up, the Punjab government today posted newly-promoted SPs in Bathinda, Barnala, Ferozepur and Mansa districts.

Hatinder Singh has been appointed as the SP (City), Bathinda; Amarjit Singh has been given the charge of the SP (Headquarters), Bathinda; Ranbir Singh will be the SP (Detective), Bathinda; and Jaipal Singh has been posted as the SP (Crime), Bathinda.

A post of SP has been created for Abohar in the Ferozepur district and Harmohan Singh has been appointed there. Raghbir Singh becomes the SP (Detective), Mansa; Jagmohan Singh has been appointed the SP (Headquarters), Moga; and Balraj Singh has been given the charge of the SP (Headquarters), Barnala.

Fazilka, May 13
About two dozen villagers, most of them resident of village Nihal Khera of this sub-division, fell ill after partaking of langar (community kitchen) in the village held as part of a post-death ritual.

All the patients complained of pain in the abdomen, vomiting and diarrhoea and got treatment from private village practitioners for a day. However, a dozen of them later on shifted to the nearby Primary Health centre at Khui Khera, 12 km from here on Abohar road on Wednesday.

It is stated that all the victims of food poisoning had consumed mix moong and masar daal (lentil) and chapatis. Of them, six are minor children. 

Bathinda, May 13
In an act of cruelty, a 35-year-old woman from Behman Jassa Singh village (Talwandi Sabo) allegedly died of burns near Sangrur last night when she was being taken to Government Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. She had sustained burns after her husband allegedly poured kerosene on her in their house at the village. Finding her condition serious, the local Civil Hospital authorities referred her to the hospital at Patiala for further treatment.

The police initially registered a case against the husband, Flail Singh, under Section 307 (Attempt to murder) and 498-A (Punishment for subjecting a married woman to cruelty) of the IPC. However, after the death of the woman, Mandip Kaur, Section 302 (Murder) of the IPC was added to the FIR.

Talking to TNS over phone this afternoon, the station house officer (SHO) of Talwandi Sabo police station, Nazar Singh, said as per Mandip’s statement to the magistrate, her husband had been beating her up for long, but on Wednesday he poured kerosene on her with an intention to set her ablaze and kill.

The SHO said Mandip had suffered about 70 per cent burns. He said since her condition was serious, the magistrate recorded her statement in the hospital. The Bathinda Civil Hospital authorities later referred her to the hospital at Patiala, but she died on the way near Sangrur. The SHO said the post-mortem examination of the body was conducted at the Bathinda Hospital today. Flail could not be arrested so far.

Mohan Singh, the investigating officer in the case, told TNS over phone that when Flail poured kerosene on his wife to set her on fire, his 11-year-old son had gone to school.

Ferozepur, May 13
The state intelligence wing has managed to zero in on the owner of the car laden with suspected RDX explosive and detonators, which was found abandoned near the railway station on May 8.

Though the sleuths of the state intelligence agency, who have been working in tandem with the state police, have identified the owner of the car, their probe had hit a roadblock as the same person went missing under mysterious circumstances about two days ago.

Though the police authorities are tightlipped, information gathered by TNS from reliable sources revealed that owner of the car, who had been heading a small religious Dera in Tarn Taran district, left that place before the intelligence teams could reach him. The mobile phone of the Dera head had also been found switched off ever since he had left his place.

Sources said that Dera was situated in that village of Tarn Taran district, which remained a hotbed of militancy during the black days in Punjab and produced a number of top class terrorists in Punjab. The car, in which the suspected RDX explosive was found, was purchased from an agency based in Chandigarh by its original owner more than a decade ago.

Developing a clue from the engine number of the car, the sleuths of the intelligence agency managed to reach those, who remained associated with the car in the past 13 years or so. The car reached Dera head after exchanging a number of hands in Delhi, Haryana and Punjab in the past many years.

Information revealed that those, who were involved in parking the car, laden with explosive near the railway station, Amritsar, had used two cars, one for transporting the explosive and second to fix the explosive with detonators in it.

One of these cars used by the accused crossed the toll plaza barriers on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road May 11, May 26 and May 27, 2010.

Though the accused tried to rub the engine and chassis number of the car before the same was parked near the railway station, Amritsar, the sleuths managed to find out engine number from other parts of the engine.

The car was purchased by the Dera head in the last week of April this year from a dealer residing in the Malwa area.

Sources said that investigation into this case by the intelligence agency so far revealed that the Dera head had no ‘shady’ past and he had been living in Dera with his family members and three other persons.