Bathinda, July 12
Leaving various streets and city roads inundated, a mere 20-minute of showers today exposed the tall claims of the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities about the functioning of the drainage system.

Though waterlogging was seen all around, the Mall road, Ajit road, Power House road, Sirki Bazar, Arya Nagar and Paras Ram Nagar localities were reported to be the worst affected.

People moving on the main road of the city (Bathinda-Goniana road), which is called the artery of the city, also witnessed a problem in the drainage system. Despite having several drains beneath the road, rain water accumulated at various points.

The waterlogging disturbed the pedestrians and two- wheeler riders moving on the main road as the heavy vehicles plying speedily drenched them with sprays from the puddle.

The shopkeepers of Sirki Bazaar, who were earlier waiting for showers to bring the mercury down, were a harried lot today. Though the rain stopped within minutes, the water accumulated outside their shops did not drain out till the evening and hindered their business.

A resident of Model Town Phase-I, Baltej Singh Khokhar, rued, “Spending crores in the name of drainage and sewerage system, this year the BMC authorities were making claims about the proper evacuation system but this 20-minute rain exposed the reality.”

On his part, Mayor, Bathinda Municipal Corporation, Baljeet Singh Birbehman said, “I have directed the officials concerned to set pumps and drainage channels well in place so that people do not face inconvenience. Despite this, people facing problems can approach me.”

Ferozepur, July 12
For the residents of this city, the rain god brought smiles and miseries together.On one hand, the heavy rains, which lashed this city for the first time in the current monsoon season today, brought down temperature drastically and saved the people from heat, and on the other, the flooded streets threw normal life out of gear. The movement of traffic in the city became negligible due to flooding of streets.

Almost all the residential areas including newly developed colonies and a number of government offices were submerged. The residents of low lying areas faced a number of problems as the rain water entered into their houses and made them immobile.

A section of residents also expressed their resentment against the authorities concerned for not taking proper measures before the start of monsoons to avoid such kind of situation.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that main areas where rain water had flooded the streets included Vikas Vihar, Preet Nagar, residential colonies on Makhu road and Subji Mandi. The other areas included main circular road girdling the city besides Makhu Gate, Zira Gate, Baghdadi Gate, Mori Gate and Delhi Gate. Even the Mall road, the office of excise and taxation, tehsil complex, central jail and district courts 
witnessed accumulation of rain water.

“How can the local municipal council carry out the desilting of underground sewerage system with only eight sewer man at its rolls against the requirement of 25,” pointed out Sandeep Tiwari, who was executive officer of local Municipal Council (MC) and left the charge today morning as he was transferred out.

Devinder Kapur, president, MC, who made a tour of entire city, pointed out that a jet machine, to be borrowed from Muktsar MC, would be pressed into service for about a week to open up the choked sewerage system. He said that about 16 labourers would be hired to press them to desilt the drainage system of the city.

Mamdot: The heavy rains left Bittu Ahuja, a resident of this town, homeless as the roof of his small house caved in late evening today.

However, there was no loss of life. — TNS

Fazilka, July 12
Hundreds of trees, flex boards, electric poles were uprooted due to heavy rains here today.The short spell of downpour was so heavy that it caused a breach at three places in Fazilka southern branch canal between bridge No. 35 to 37 near village Jorki Kankarwali of this subdivision. The breaches inundated more than 100 acres of agricultural land of four farmers namely, Baldev Singh Brar, Baljinder, Labh Singh and Simarjit Singh.

The traffic on Fazilka-Ferozepur road on outskirts of the town remained blocked for about an hour as uprooted trees fell on the road. The part of the boundary wall of government middle school of village Rana collapsed as uprooted trees fell on it. Most government building, hospitals and schools in subdivision were inundated.

Besides, due to the thundershower, the water crossed beneath the railway line at 73.8 kilometer point of the railway department. As a result of this, the speed of the train on the Fazilka-Muktsar track had to be reduced considerably to avoid any mishap.

However, SDM Ajay Sood ruled out any danger of flood in this area. 

Ferozpur, July 12
Two persons, including the owner of a restaurant were electrocuted due to the flow of electric current in a generator.

According to the information available, Sat Pal, working in a local restaurant, tried to switch on the generator following a power cut due to incessant rains and suffered electric shock. Sanjeev Narula, owner of the restaurant, who tried to rescue him, also suffered an electric shock.

Both were immediately rushed to a hospital where their condition is stated to be out of danger. — OC

Abohar, July 12
Rains paralysed normal life here. At least five persons including a woman sustained injuries as trees got uprooted and sheds collapsed in different segments.Sheds of a bio-waste power generation plant in village Gaddandob were flown away by the dust storm. Manager Dr Ratan Goyal confirmed that machinery and building too had suffered damage.

Powercom SDO Surinder Behal said some of the electricity poles of main transmission line on Abohar-Malout road (NH10) had got bent resulting in suspension of supply to the sub-divisional town and adjoining areas.

Hundreds of four-wheelers have been held up near village Dangarkhera.

Most of the localities as well as main roads were inundated with rain water. 

Fazilka, July 12
The State Information Commissioner (SIC) has imposed a penalty of Rs 30,000 on Public Information Officer (Executive Officer), Municipal Council, Fazilka, for his failure to supply the requisite information to the complaint, a local resident Amar Nath Chetiwal, under Right to Information Act.

Out of the Rs 30,000, Rs 25,000 will have to be deposited with the Commission and remaining amount will be paid to the complainant as compensation.

As per information, BJP leader Amarnath Chetiwal, a resident of Khatikan Mohalla, had sought information on December 6, 2009 from Municipal Council regarding some temporary thatched residential apartment (jhuggis) having been raised in local Khatikan locality. Chetiwal had in particular sought information regarding permission for raising the structure.

But according to Chetiwal's advocate Deepak Modgil, no information was provided to the applicant.

Upon this, Chetiwal knocked the door of State Information Commission on February 10 in which he had pleaded that despite his efforts he could not get the desired information from the council.

The commission summoned information officer of the council thrice on April 5, April 21 and May 12. However, the designated information officer (Executive officer) neither attended any of the hearing nor supplied any information to the applicant during these days. The commission provided information officer yet another opportunity to appear before it in person on July 5, 2010, but again the information officer remained absent from the hearing.

Taking cognizance of the matter, state information commissioner Jaspal Kaur imposed a penalty of Rs 25,000 to be deposited with the commission under the provisions of article 20 (1) of RTI and directed to pay Rs 5,000 to the complainant as compensation as he has been attending the commission on all the dates of hearing.

The commission has also directed the principal secretary and director local bodies to ensure the compliance of the order till August 2, failing which disciplinary action would be taken under article 20 (2) of RTI against the person responsible. The amount of the penalty so imposed be deducted from the salary of the Information Officer, the commission ordered.

He has also ordered to make available the requisite information to the applicant.

Barnala, July 12
At least nine students and four teachers of a private school sustained injuries when the van in which they were travelling was hit by a PRTC bus of Bathinda depot from rear near Handyaya this morning.

Police sources said that nine students of class VII to XII of the Y.S. School, Handyaya, including two girl students, and four teachers of the school, including two women teachers were injured. The incident took place around 8.30 am when the PRTC bus was on its way from Chandigarh to Bathinda. Nearly 25 persons were on the school van at the time of incident, police sources added.

Sources added that the injured were rushed to the Civil Hospital, Barnala, where their condition is stated to be stable.

The injured students were identified as Bhupinder Singh, Manjot Singh (Both of class-XII), Keshav, Lovepreet Singh (class-XI), Kuwinderjeet Singh (class-X), Jagtinder Singh, Jasvinder Singh (class-VIII), Savneet and Bhumika (class-VII). The injured teachers have been identified as Rajesh Kumar, Jasvinderjeet Singh, Anuradha Sharma, Sarita Rani.

Meanwhile, police has registered a case in this connection. 

Bathinda, July 12
The Kanhaiya chowk — an entry point to the city for those coming from Faridkot, Muktsar and Malout sides — has become a highly accident-prone spot, as hardly a day passes when volunteers of local NGOs do not report accidents taking place there.

As if the unusual joining of three roads around the chowk was not enough, emergence of an illegal fruit-vegetable market there has increased the chances of accidents.

As part of the city beautification project, the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) in a joint venture with the forest department is constructing a jogging path and rain shelters on both sides of the road — from the canal bridge to railway crossing. Due to this, the road has become congested.

The fruit-vegetable vendors, who were earlier settled along the lake number one of the thermal plant, were dislocated.

According to information available, the administration allowed these vendors to encroach upon the land towards the Thermal colony on the Bathinda-Goniana roadside. The land belongs to the forest department. However, due to the apathy of forest department officials towards the market, the smooth movement of traffic on the road has been hit hard.

Chaos rules the area in the evening due to heavy rush of shoppers, who in the absence of proper space, don’t mind parking their vehicles even in the middle of the road.

When asked, the owner of a wrongly parked car replied, “Before parking the vehicle here, I tried to find an open space nearby, but failed.” He maintained, “If vendors have been allowed to stand here, the administration should arrange for parking space also.”

Divisional Forest Officer SP Anandh Kumar said, “We have not permitted any of the vendors to set up vends there. In fact, we have issued a number of notices to violators. Since the problem is rising, we would soon evict all rehris from there, which will make the road wide enough for the smooth flow of traffic.”

Meanwhile, another official of the forest department, while seeking anonymity, said, “We could have got the land vacated long back but some political figures in the city are patronising these vendors.” 

Bathinda, July 12
Sleuths of the Excise and Taxation Department caught three sugar-loaded trucks for entering the state without paying the requisite fee.Acting upon the tip-off that the trucks entered the state through some villages, excise teams conducted separate raids and caught all the three trucks.

After calculating the evaded fee amount, the trucks were handed over to the district police, which registered three different cases — one against a firm of Rama Mandi and two against the drivers. Sources in the department informed that after the case was registered, owners of the sugar deposited the requisite fee with the department. — TNS

Bathinda, July 12
The PRTC Workers’ Union (AITUC), Bathinda depot, has flayed the management of the PRTC for not initiating the process with regard to regularising the services of contractual employees and the employees working under the contractors.

In a press note, president of the union Makhan Singh said a meeting to this effect had been held with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary in April 2010, but the PRTC management had not taken any steps in this direction so far. He said the PRTC was also not releasing arrears of the salaries, enhanced from January 1, 2006, as per the report of the Pay Commission.

He also alleged that labour laws were being violated in the PRTC while payments of the medical reimbursement bills were also not being made to the employees.

He said if the Punjab government and the PRTC management did not fulfill the demands of the employees in 15 days, then an agitation would be launched. — TNS