Bathinda, August 13
After the state food and supply department authorities got exposed for spoiling thousands of metric tonnes of stored food grains, now the staff of state schools has come under the scanner for dumping huge quantity of syllabus books in the open, apparently, so that they get spoiled in the rainy season.

Sources in the state education department informed that all government schools were provided with syllabus books to be distributed among the new students. Some schools distributed the books well in time but a large number of schools were still in possession of such books.

Among those schools, which were yet to clear the pendency, some were reported to have dumped the books, packing them in jute bags, more than their capacity. Further, some schools have been accused of keeping the books in the open, leaving them to get spoiled due to the rains, sources said.

As the matter recently came to the notice of senior functionaries of the state education department, they conducted a random inspection of a large number of schools and found the allegations to be factually true, which created a flutter among the officials.

Taking notice of it, director general of school education (DGSE)-cum-state project director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Authority, Punjab, Krishan Kumar issued a warning to all district education officers (secondary education) to check it.

In the letter, a copy of which is with The Tribune, the DGSE fixed the liability for such losses upon the DEOs.

“To avoid any disciplinary action, do ensure the distribution of all books well in time and the books, which were not yet distributed, should be stored at a proper place to prevent them from getting spoiled,” the DGSE added.

Bathinda, August 13
Continuing their commitment towards maintaining a green planet, the district forest department, ITBP and Bathinda railway again joined hands and planted over 1,000 saplings in the periphery of the Bathinda Cantonment railway station today.

District forest officer SP Anand Kumar along with other officials of the department, ITBP commandant RK Verma with their team members, assistant traffic manager Bathinda, Sher Singh and other senior railway officials enthusiastically participated in the drive and planted saplings on the occasion.

Community AIDS educator and UN awardee Narinder Bassi said the forest department provided the saplings for the purpose. He thanked all for their commitment towards afforestation. Bassi said that tree plantation campaign would continue and more areas in Bathinda would be covered in the near future.

Bathinda, August 13
To avoid any untoward incident during the Independence Day celebrations, the district police carried out an intensive search operation in and around the areas near Sports Stadium, here today.

The administration is expecting a huge gathering at the stadium as deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is scheduled to unfurl the national flag. Other dignitaries are also expected to witness the function.

Leaving no stone unturned to ensure foolproof arrangements, all buildings located around the stadium were thoroughly frisked by the cops.

Bathinda, August 13
To provide healthcare services to the dwellers of slum areas, the district health authorities on Friuday organised two medical camps, especially for women and kids, in Partap Nagar and Beant Nagar localities here.

As many as 2409 patients, were examined at the camps. Besides, laboratory tests were also conducted at the camps for haemoglobin, malaria, urine for pregnancy and sputum.

Dr Maninderjit Singh, state consultant, National Rural Health Mission, Chandigarh, visited the camps. — TNS

Abohar/Fazilka, August 13
The Border Security Force (BSF) authorities have beefed up the security alongside the Indo-Pak border to prevent any mischief by anti-India elements sitting across the Zero Line on the eve of Independence Day.

Besides, Vimal Satyarthi, DIG, BSF, Abohar sector, has issued special order for taking those people, who move in the border pockets without any identity proof, in custody and subsequently hand them over to the local police.

The order to shoot down any person moving under suspicious circumstances in the close vicinity of the border by the BSF jawans is already in place.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that the BSF authorities were alive to situation prevailing in various parts of Pakistan including Lahore, which had continuously been rocked with bomb blasts and other terrorists' attacks in the past few years, and hence contemplating that the terrorists could be pushed towards Indian side.

Information revealed that to cover the entire stretch of the border falling in Punjab, newly recruited troops, who were yet to complete their training before being inducted as sepoy in the BSF, had also been put on the security duties. In addition to it, additional troops had been mobilised from reserve battalions to sanitise the border.

“In the backdrop of intelligence inputs regarding determined efforts of anti-national elements to disturb the Independence Day celebrations, adequate measures have been taken for peaceful conduct of the Independence Day celebrations at the Joint Check post (JCP) at Sadiqi,” pointed out Satyarthi.

Mounted staff and dog squad had also been pressed into service. A close watch was being kept on the activities taking place across the Zero Line.

Meanwhile, Deepak Kandpal, commandant, 199 Battalion of the BSF, said day-long festival — from flag hoisting ceremony to flag lowering ceremony — would be held at Sadiqi JCP on August 15, where about 20,000 people from various parts of the country were expected to come. The BSF authorities in association with the local voluntary and social organisations including Bhagat Singh Club, would also make arrangements for it.

Fazilka, August 13
Shaheed Bhagat Singh Sports Club, Fazilka and Graduate Welfare Association had decided to organise a cycle rally on the Independence Day.

The rally would start from the Clock Tower and would end at the War Memorial of 1971 Indo-Pak war heroes at the border village Asafwala.

Giving details, president of the Sports Club, Parmjit Singh Warer Pamma said the main motive behind the rally is to pay obeisance to the martyrs on the Independence Day and to motivate the youngsters to prevent environment pollution.

Meanwhile, the representatives of the agitating organisations of Fazilka have decided to restart protest in favour of their demand to make Fazilka a district headquarters from August 15.

In this regard, a special meeting was convened. It was unanimously decided that the agitators would bring out a protest march waiving black flags on the Independence Day. In Pratap Bagh, the protesters would participate in the tribute paying ceremony of Fazilka’s first legislator comrade Wadhaw Ram on his anniversary.

On the same day, the members of the Martyr Bhagat Singh Sports club would pay obeisance at the War Memorial of 1971 Indo-Pak war heroes at village Asafwala. They also decided to begin relay fast before the office of the SDM (Fazilka) from August 16. Five members of different organisations would sit on fast daily, they added.

Moga, August 13
The state Vigilance Bureau has filed a cancellation report in the court of additional sessions judge of Moga, Raj Shekhar Attri, requesting to discharge the local drug inspector Balram Luthra from the charges of corruption. The court would look into it on Saturday.

In the cancellation report filed under Section 173 of the CrPC by the local DSP Banarsi Dass, it has been stated that the drug inspector was caught red-handed on June 4 while accepting a bribe of Rs 5,000 from an employee of a local chemist but in an inquiry conducted by the DIG of Jalandhar zone it came to light that he was falsely trapped by manipulating with some officials of the Bureau and the case was falsely registered against him.

Ferozepur, August 13
While holding the bank and insurance company responsible for indulging in unfair trade practice, the District Consumer and Dispute Redressal Forum, has directed the Axis Bank and Met Life Insurance company to pay an amount of Rs 50,000 as compensation to the complainant Sukhdial Singh, an ex-serviceman, who had accused the bank and insurance officials of allegedly misleading him to invest the amount received out of retirement benefits in mutual fund and insurance policies.

The Forum also directed the insurance company to refund the insurance premiums paid by the complainant towards his two lapsed policies.