Barnala, May 29
Tension gripped Bhadour area of Barnala after members of particular Sikh group (Nihang Sinhoon) allegedly damaged a wall of Dharamshala near a Gurudwara and tried to occupy it.

Local sources said after members of a particular Sikh group Nihang Sinhoon allegedly tried to break down the wall of the Dharamshala located near the Baba Jeevan Singh Gurudwara to occupy it in an illegal manner, local residents armed with bamboo sticks reached the spot. They added that tension gripped the entire area and situation became tense at the spot.

Local residents revealed to the media that they hold a majority of functions in this eight-year-old Dharamshala. One of its walls touches the outer boundary of the Baba Jeeevna Singh Gurudwara. The Dharmshala also houses an Anganwari school at present where children hailing from poor families come to study, they said.

The residents further pointed out that inmates of the Gurudwara Major Singh, Buta Singh, Nakshattar Singh, Rupa Singh and Balveer Singh want to merge the Dharamshala to make a gate for Gurudwara which opens at the main road. They alleged that last night, a group of about 15-20 people broke the wall of the Dharamshala.

They said when they tried to talk to the people who tried to forcibly occupy the Dharamshala, the illegal occupants threatened them with dire consequences and even ran after them in order to kill them.

Some people informed the Bhadour police, which swung into action forcing the illegal occupants to flee from the spot. Some of them were caught by the police they added.

“Two years ago, Major Singh was expelled from the Panchayat after allegations of swindling funds were levelled against him. He is using the Gurudwara as his personal property and does not allow anyone to offer prayers there,” the residents rued..

Meanwhile, SHO Bhadour informed the media that he is investigating the matter and whosoever is found guilty, would not be spared. At the time of filing the news report, the situation was stated to be tense at the spot.

Bathinda, May 29
Having been selected to the National Defence Academy (NDA) today, a beaming Shubham Gupta says “it is a dream come true for me”.A confident 18-year-old Shubham, who cleared the NDA examination in the first attempt, says he did not undertake any coaching and appeared in the UPSC examination on the basis of his own preparation.

It was an atmosphere of jubilation at his residence in the Civil Lines locality as neighbours and friends poured in to congratulate him after the result was declared by the UPSC. It was also a great day for his father Sharad Chander Gupta, a soil and water conservation officer, and mother Anupam Gupta, a teacher in the St. Joseph’s Convent. They were delighted to see Shubham clear the NDA examination in which about one lakh youth had appeared.

Shubham says that right from childhood, it was his dream to join the armed forces as he was inspired by one of his uncles who was in the Indian Air Force.

A student of local St. Joseph’s Convent up to Class X and thereafter of the Rose Mary Convent, Balluana, Shubham says he was grateful to these institutions that provided him with an opportunity to develop his personality.

Bathinda, May 29
Two suspected cases of breast cancer were detected at a free breast cancer check-up camp held at the Civil Hospital here today. The women, aged about 45 years and about 28 years, belong to Bathinda city.

The women underwent mammography tests, which raised a suspicion that they could be suffering from breast cancer. Later, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) tests were conducted on them to confirm if they were suffering from the disease.

The reports of the FNAC tests would be available by Monday.

As many as 30 women, who were feeling lump in their breasts, had got themselves registered for mammography test. After the registration, a team of doctors, comprising Dr Dheera Gupta, Dr Monica and Dr Rakesh Gupta, examined the women before sending them for mammography tests. Later, Dr Gurbinder Singh, a radiologist, conducted mammography tests on the women and prepared reports.

Senior medical officer (SMO) of local Civil Hospital Dr Vinod Kumar Garg said every woman, who was above 40 years, should undergo a mammography test.

He said the test was conducted at the Civil Hospital for Rs 100. However, it was done free of cost at today’s camp.

The SMO said the camp also helped the health authorities in spreading awareness about breast cancer.

Bathinda, May 29
More than 17.90 lakh old-age pensioners and beneficiaries of the various financial assistance schemes of the Social Security Department, Punjab, who have been awaiting old age pension and financial assistance for the months of February and March of the previous financial year, will get the payments of pensions and financial assistance soon as the state government has released more than Rs 89 crore to make payment for these two months.

The Social Security Department gives a sum of Rs 250 per month each to old-age pensioners, besides a financial assistance of Rs 250 each to the beneficiaries of the schemes, meant for widow/destitute women, dependent children, and the disabled.

As per information, the Social Security Department has sanctioned over Rs 89.41 crore for the months of February and March to all district offices of the department in the state for disbursing the payment of the old age pension and financial assistance to the beneficiaries of the schemes. There are over 8.77 lakh general category beneficiaries and 9.14 lakh scheduled caste beneficiaries.

Out of more than Rs 89 crore, more than Rs five crore has been released to the Bathinda district for payment of the old age pension schemes and financial assistance for February and March. As per information, there are now about 95,000 beneficiaries of the old age pension scheme and the financial assistance schemes in Bathinda district.

The Bathinda district has started the process of disbursing old age pension and financial assistance among the beneficiaries, for which cheques of the amounts are being sent to the banks for urban area beneficiaries and the village Panchayats for rural area beneficiaries.

It is also learnt that the Social Security Department has also released funds to the seven districts of the state, including Ropar, Nawanshehar, Faridkot, Ferozepur, for distributing the old-age pension and financial assistance for the January month as the funds for January month have not been released to these districts in the past earlier. 

Bathinda, May 29
Chairman of the Swami Vivekananda Group of Institutes Ashwani Garg today announced to waive full fee of nine students belonging to poor families of this district.He said the students would be imparted education in B.Pharmacy, BBA, BCA, and post-graduate diploma in management (PGDM) courses at his institutes. He said the students should be recommended by NGOs like Sahara Jan Sewa. 

Garg further said the benefit would be extended to two students each for the courses of B.Pharmacy, BBA and BCA while three students would be given the benefit for PGDM course. He said except hostel charges, no fee, including building fund and other charges, would be taken from these nine students. —TNS

Moga, May 29
Irregularities in the release of old-age, widow and other social security pensions in the name of dead and missing persons ignoring actual beneficiaries have surfaced in Moga. As many as 2,623 cases, including that of dead and missing persons, have been detected across the district in a recent survey wherein the pensions have reached the pockets of sarpanches or the members of the village committees who had been assigned the task of distributing the pensions.

A report has been dispatched to the director of the social welfare department by the district magistrate Satwant Singh Johal a couple of weeks back. However, no action has so far been taken against those involved in the fraud.

About 71,818 persons were getting financial assistance under various social security schemes of the union and state government in the district as on February 2009.

A total of 2,579 cases of bogus pensions have been detected in rural areas while 44 cases in urban areas.

As per the government guidelines, the pensions are released in presence of the members of the seven-member sub-committee constituted by the gram panchayat. In some villages, it came notice that the mandatory provision has hardly been practised at the ground level by the sarpanches.

The DM had recently asked the district development and panchayat official Joginder Kumar to ensure displaying of lists of the beneficiaries of all government schemes including the Atta Dal, pensions, BPL schemes at prominent places in all the respective villages in the district but these orders have not been followed in letter and spirit even after six months of the orders.

District social welfare officer, Debo Rani, refused to give details of the villages where irregularities in distribution of pensions have been detected saying that she has been asked by the higher authorities not to give the details to the media.

She refused to give details saying the details have been given to the DM who would pass orders against those responsible. The DM said he had forwarded the report to the state government and now it is up to it to take action.

ferozepur, May 29
Parveen Kaur, mother of a six-month-old boy, who got married about one and a half years ago, was allegedly set on fire by her husband and his kin at village Burj Makhan Singh Wala of this district today as she reportedly failed to fulfill their lust for dowry.

The accused clandestinely took her to a Ferozepur-based hospital where the doctors referred her to a Ludhiana-based hospital. On the way, Parveen succumbed to her burns. The accused took the body to the cremation ground of village Burj Makhan Singh Wala without informing the parents of the deceased to destroy the evidence. However, some village resident informed the police and her parents. A case has been registered but no arrests were made yet.

Moga, May 29
The Moga police booked head constable Lakhwinder Singh and his mother Bachan Kaur for abetment to suicide of Sarabjit Kaur (32), wife of the cop, who consumed some poisonous substance in the premises of the SSP office in the administrative complex here on Thursday.

A senior official of the police said a criminal case under section 306 of the IPC has been registered against him and his mother on basis of the statement recorded by Amarjit Singh, father of the deceased.

However, the alleged accused has not been arrested and was on duty. “We are still investigating the case and further action would be taken after the inquiry,” the official added. The inquiry of this case was handed over to the DSP (City) Pargat Singh, who is investigating the case, he said.

Bathinda, May 29
With a long list of delicacies on its menu, the Platters restaurant opened with a bang here today.The restaurant near the Ghora Chowk offers food delicacies including thick shakes of international standards, Mumbai’s famous Frankie, assorted breads and tingling dips with submarine sandwiches besides various traditional dishes.

Chief executive of the restaurant, Kanwal Gupta, who is a known face in the town, says that the restaurant would offer lot of satisfaction along with a cordial and pleasing ambience to the customers.

The restaurant serves Thai cuisine that was so far available only in a few towns of the region. More than a dozen varieties of tandoori kababs and bakery are also available at the Platters. — TNS