Bathinda, September 1
A much-hyped auction of the Blue Fox complex, a piece of land measuring 21,261 sq. yard, located on the Bathinda-Chandigarh road was cancelled for the second time today, as no takers came forward to participate in the bidding process.

Sale of the property had courted a controversy in 2008. The Congress and the BJP had been objecting to its sale. However, CM Parkash Singh Badal recently convinced the BJP leadership to let the auction of the complex take place as funds were needed for the development of the city.

To make the auction viable, the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) divided the property into four plots measuring 5017, 5212, 5378 and 5653 sq yards each. The reserve price was fixed at Rs. 51,000 per sq. yard and the eligibility fee was Rs 25 lakh per plot.

Bubbling with enthusiasm over a plot measuring 21,780 sq yard fetching a fabulous price of about Rs.184 crore in December 2007, the authorities concerned were expecting to bag a much higher amount this time.

The entire auction committee, including the BMC commissioner, the Mayor as well as the Bathinda Deputy Commissioner, reached the venue on time but was shocked to find only two players, the Homeland City Developers Project Ltd and the Radhe Construction Company, submitting demand drafts as the eligibility fee; that too, only for a plot each.

The committee members kept waiting for another participant to turn up as they wanted to start the auction only if there were a minimum of three bidders.

Failing in their attempts to allure builders and real estate investors even over phone, the auction started at about 1.30 pm with only two players. However, they too did not participate further.

Surprised, the DC apprised the situation to the Chief Minister over phone and confidentially conveyed a message to the auction committee. Immediately after, the auction committee announced cancellation of the auction.

When some local investors were asked about the reason for not turning up at the auction, they said the reserved price was much higher than the market price, adding that moreover, there was a condition that one could cover only half of the total purchased land.

BMC commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “It was unfortunate that no one came forward to participate in the auction of the land, which was at a prime location.”

Disclosing further plans, he said the BMC had already proposed to sell the land by dividing it into 84 plots as shop-cum-office (SCO). However, the final decision would be taken only after the general house of the BMC passes the proposal, Bhagat clarified.

It may be mentioned that the land in question was put on auction on March 12, 2008, also. Then, the reserve price had been fixed at Rs. 50,000 per sq. yard with an eligibility fee of Rs 1 crore. The bids had reached Rs. 60,000 when the auction committee withdrew the auction, as admitting a writ petition, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had reportedly stayed the proceedings.

Bathinda, September 1
Under the school health programme, teachers will now be imparted training to check swine flu (H1N1 influenza) in the district. The training is part of the ‘Humanitarian Pandemic Preparedness Project’ of the Indian Red Cross Society.

State coordinator of the project RP Verma said here today that the training on swine flu had been included in the school health programme to help teachers identify cases of swine flu among children at an early stage. They could prove helpful in isolating the suspected cases to save other children from the disease outbreak.

Verma said anganwari workers too would be trained and asked to report suspected swine flu cases in their respective areas to the district health authorities.

Verma was here today in connection with a programme, ‘District simulation exercise and action plan on H1N1’, organised by the Punjab unit of the Indian Red Cross Society.

At this programme, methodology for treating A, B and C categories of swine flu was also discussed. The participants were also educated about the Bathinda district’s action plan to tackle H1N1.

In the action plan, activities to be carried out by 18 departments, including health, education, public health, woman and child welfare, private nursing homes and non-government organisations, have also been discussed.

The Health Department will organise a meeting of various departments every month to review the action plan and assess the activities carried out. The Health Department will also depute doctors and other staff to impart training to the staff of other departments.

The main emphasis will be on dissemination of information besides educating the people about the disease.

Printed material will also be provided by Health Department in this regard. An intensive education campaign will also be launched in slum areas.

Among those who were present or addressed the participants at the programme included additional deputy commissioner Upjeet Singh Brar, Dr Amarjit Singh and Dr Ramnika Aggarwal (both from Government Medical College, Faridkot), district health officer Dr RS Randhawa and JR Goyal, secretary of the District Red Cross Society. 

Ferozepur, September 1
Hundreds of residents of village Chhangapur Khurd of this district and activists of Krantikari Pendu Mazdoor Union blocked traffic and staged a dharna at Sher Shah Wali Chowk on the Ferozepur-Fazilka road in the cantonment area today to apply pressure on the police to register a murder case in connection with the death of Balwinder Singh, who died under mysterious circumstances yesterday.

Balwinder, a farm labourer of village Chhangapur Khurd, was first admitted to the local Civil Hospital on August 24. He had suffered multiple injuries under mysterious circumstances and was found lying near Kulgadi police station of the district and was later shifted to a hospital in Faridkot.

Balwinder succumbed to his injuries yesterday and a case in this connection was registered at the Kulgadi police station under section 304-A of IPC (death due to accident) on the basis of the statement of Milkha Singh, the brother of the deceased.

Information gathered by TNS revealed that gunmen of senior police officials shifted injured Balwinder to the Civil Hospital on August 24. Foul play in his death was suspected because when the gunmen got him admitted to the Civil Hospital, no information in connection with case was given to the police till yesterday.

While the police authorities claimed that Balwinder had met with an accident and died subsequently, his kin and members of Pendu Krantikari Union alleged that Balwinder had been murdered and a case of murder be registered against those involved in the crime.

Satpal Singh Laddi, president, Krantikari Pendu Majdoor Union, alleged that the police had converted a case of murder into a case of accident as they were allegedly under pressure. He added Balwinder was found lying naked on the road after he was murdered.

He said the dharna was today lifted on the assurance given by Joginder Singh, DSP, that an inquiry would be conducted and if it was found that Balwinder had been murdered, a case of murder would be registered and the guilty would be arrested. He said if the police failed to conduct the inquiry, the union would start an agitation in every village.

Joginder Singh, DSP, said if any foul play was confirmed in the inquiry, action would be taken accordingly. Meanwhile, relatives of a missing boy of this town staged a dharna in front of the city police station today demanding that police act swiftly to find him. 

Sriganganagar, September 1
Dr OP Mohindra, former Deputy Chief Whip in the erstwhile Vasundhara Raje-led-BJP government is in the dock. He claimed on Sunday that he had approached the Border Security Force (BSF) in the border town Anoopgarh to provide a patrolling boat for the cremation of an old woman of village Purana Binjaur that remained surrounded by the Ghaggar waters.

District Congress Committee secretary Bhajan Lal Kamra yesterday refuted the claim made by Mohindra. Charanjit Singh, husband of the deceased Gurdeep Kaur, has said in a signed statement that he had actually contacted Rajasthan Pradesh Congress secretary Kuldeep Indora who approached the commandant of the BSF and sub-divisional authorities. The boat was then provided from the Laila-Majnu BoP to carry the body for cremation outside the village. Congress leader Kamra said it was unfortunate on the part of the BJP leader to have made false claims.

Bathinda, September 1
Janmashtami was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety in the city today. Shree Chaitanya Gorria Math (Mandir) here took out a ‘Rath yatra,’ carrying idols of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Lord Krishna and Shree Radha Ballabh Ji in the Rath, through various parts of the city today. A large number of devotees, accompanying the yatra, recited ‘Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna’ during the yatra.

The ‘Rath yatra’ started with great enthusiasm from Shree Chaitanya Math with the pulling of the ‘Rath’ with a 50-feet long rope by the devotees, including women and children.

Abohar, September 1
Traders now no longer need to wait in queue for filling up the VAT-36 form at the inter-state barriers. From today onwards, they can download the form and fill it before stopping at the barrier. Small Traders Board chairman Madan Lal Kapur visited this remote town, bordering Rajasthan, to monitor the new system on Wednesday.

Speaking to this correspondent in the evening, he conceded that the long queues at the barriers had been resulting in harassment of traders. Kapur said the situation was worst at Shambhu in Patiala division, and added that the decade old system resulted in delay in the movement of goods from one state to the other.

Kapur said the solution to all problems including uniformity in taxation, as promised by the ruling alliance before the last elections, rests in the implementation of goods sales tax (GST).

It was to be introduced by April this year but the Central government had now extended the date to April 1, 2011. A high-level meeting has been convened at Chandigarh on September 7 to discuss the modalities for introducing the GST. The financial commissioners of the department concerned will be present during the meeting.

Claiming that most of the promises made to the farmers by the ruling alliance had been fulfilled, he urged the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal to settle the pending disputes of traders for the financial years 2005-06 and 2007-08 on a priority basis.

He demanded that the in-charge of each barrier should be empowered to settle the disputes relating to evasion of tax, that all stationery must be in Punjabi language, commission agents be granted exemption from obtaining VAT licence and refund of extra VAT charged from the traders should be ensured within 60 days. Pleading for a fair work environment, he claimed that the trading community had contributed 30 per cent more VAT than last year till July 31 this year as inspectors had stopped harassing them in their daily work. The traders can now file e-returns also instead of visiting the sales tax offices, he observed.

Ferozepur, September 1
Thirteen students were given selected by the company IBM Daksh in a campus placement drive held at the DAV College for Women.Rohit Sharma of IBM Daksh said the girls will initially be given two and a half months of training. Their salary amounts to Rs 2 lakh per annum.

Principal Dr Pushpinder Walia said for the first time, such a large number of girls in a single batch have been offered jobs in campus. It has really enhanced the confidence of other girls as well, Dr Walia added. 

Bathinda, September 1
Bathinda proved their supremacy on the netball court as both the boys and girls of the district clinched the title in their respective groups in the 56th State School Games that concluded at the Khalsa Senior Secondary School here on Wednesday.

Both the teams of the district preformed well at all levels, including league, quarter-finals and super-league.

In the girls group, Barnala bagged second position while Amritsar came third. In the boys group, Tarn Taran won second place while Barnala bagged third position.

Teams from across the Punjab took part in the four-day competition.

Chief guest Sarup Chand Singla, consitituency in-charge of SAD, handed over trophies to the winners. President of the Khalsa Institutions Rajinder Singh Sidhu was present as special guest.

State awardee Govind Singh, DEO (Secondary), Bathinda, Harbans Singh, principal of the school Dilbag Singh, Veena Sodhi, Gurmail Singh and others were also present on the occasion. — TNS

Bathinda, September 1
Due to increased awareness among the people of Punjab, more patients have started preferring ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicines.

Three health fairs titled ‘Arogya’ organised in three big cities of the state, including Bathinda, by the Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy), Punjab, have reportedly played a big role in creating awareness in this regard.

About three years ago, due to personal attention of the health minister, Punjab, towards these systems of medicines, the Department of AYUSH started functioning in a big way. This reportedly led to promotion of ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicines and more awareness among the masses.

A homoeopathic doctor told this reporter that even educated persons in large numbers had now started visiting homeopathic dispensaries and private clinics for treatment. Due to awareness, they had changed their earlier view that homeopathy medicines were nothing but sweet pills. Now, they take this system of medicine more seriously. Besides, faith in homeopathy had also increased as patients suffering from serious ailments, including skin disease, had been cured, he added.

An ayurvedic medical officer said that in the past three years, 
the number of patients had increased not only in government ayurvedic dispensaries but in private clinics also.

It could be due to the awareness created by the AYUSH, increase in the flow of medicines and recruitment of staff under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), he said. Credit also goes to a famous yoga guru, Baba Ramdev, for creating awareness on yoga and ayurvedic medicines during the past some years, he added.

According to details available, in the district ayurvedic hospital here, about 6,050 new patients were examined during 2008-09 while about 6,450 were examined in 2009-10.

However, about 1.25 lakh patients each were examined in government homeopathic dispensaries of the district in 2008 and 2009. A number of patients examined in the NRHM dispensaries has not been included in the aforesaid details.

Dr Vijay Kumar Bansal, district homoeopathic medical officer, Bathinda, and Dr HS Dhaliwal, officiating district ayurvedic officer, Bathinda, were of the view that there was no no doubt that during the past three years, number of patients taking to the ayurvedic and homeopathic systems of medicines had grown by five to 10 per cent.

Sriganganagar, September 1
The students of Kendriya Vidyalaya, located in the BSF campus at Anoopgarh, have won five gold and a silver in the annual sports meet of KVs of the Jaipur zone, official sources informed.

Class X student Sandeep Yadav bagged three gold medals by winning the 800, 1500 and 3000 meter race. Class XII student Narinder Singh won the gold by winning the 3000 meters race while Ankush Bishnoi and Nikhil Sharma won gold and silver, respectively, in the high jump.

Rahul Dandey, Jitender Singh, Bharat Punj and Komal Sharma have been selected for the National Games. 

Abohar, September 1
Motorcycle-borne miscreants caused a scare by throwing prohibited brand of crackers inside the residence of a government school lecturer and music director Praveen Pankaj in Sunder Nagari here during the wee hours today.

The watchman on duty was quoted as saying that he noticed the boys speeding away on a bike that did not have a number plate when the crackers burst for the second time at about 3.30 am.

The house is located close to the residence of a Chandigarh-based TV channel reporter. The incident has caused a scare among the residents of the locality. The police is learnt to have initiated a probe.