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Minorities safe in Punjab: Panel chief
Municipal staff vent ire against Kalia
Customer Care |
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Cancer-hit village
1984 riots
BJP MLA for dist HQ status to Fazilka
Moga drug inspector’s graft case
Two of a family die in mishap
20-yr-old girl found dead on rail tracks
Workshop on maternal health held
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Minorities safe in Punjab: Panel chief
Bathinda, September 9 Chairman of the Minority Commission, Punjab, Munawar Masih said most of the complaints the Commission had received so far, were linked to encroachment over graveyards, no space for graveyards in villages, and no disposal of dirty water from the localities. The chairman, accompanied by a member of the Commission, Hamid Masih, was here today on his first visit to the city for meeting the members of the minority communities. He held a meeting with them at the Mini-Secretariat here. Regarding constructing boundary walls around the graveyards, the chairman said the Commission had no funds, but they would ask the DCs or the state government to arrange funds. He said they had also asked the DCs to remove the encroachments over the land for graveyards. Masih also said that all minority communities, like Sikh, Muslims and Christians were safe in Punjab. He also emphasised upon the need for organising special awareness camps so that minorities could get benefits of welfare schemes, meant for them. President of the Christian Welfare Association of Bathinda George C. Masih demanded graveyards in different towns of Bathinda as there was only one graveyard in Bathinda now. President of the Muslim Welfare Association, Talwandi Sabo, Balbir Khan said the backward class (BC) certificates were not being issued to the Muslims in Talwandi Sabo. He also demanded boundary walls for the Muslim graveyards saying only five per cent graveyards in Punjab had boundary walls and sought representation of at least one Muslim as member of the Punjab Wakf Board from Bathinda belt. He also asked the ADC to order issuance of caste certificates without any delay. |
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Municipal staff vent ire against Kalia
Bathinda, September 9 Accusing the minister of doing nothing to meet their long-pending demands, the agitators from Bathinda, Faridkot, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Sangrur, Barnala and Ferozepur district blocked the Bathinda-Faridkot main road and staged a dharna at the Fauji chowk, here today. Though the administration deployed police in strength to cordon off the place of protest and arranged an alternate route for vehicular traffic, the agitators threatened the government to escalate the protest if their demands were not fulfilled immediately. Raising anti-Kalia and anti-government slogans, speakers of the MMAC said the class IV employees of the municipal committees and corporations were facings hardship in performing their duties but nobody was bothered. Addressing the gathering, leaders of the protesters went on to underline that their protests would create a turbulence in the ruling alliance. “The local bodies minister, who is already facing an identity crisis in the SAD-led government, will find it tough to cope if he does not accept our demands. The identity loss is his personal problem and we are not concerned with it. But it is for sure that if we became aggressive, he will find it tough to survive in the government for during its remaining tenure,” they claimed. They demanded a hike in salary and remuneration, regularisation of all sweepers working in the area sanitation committees, job to wards of deceased employees on compassionate ground and others. They mentioned a number of demands including job security in the solid waste project, failing which the committee would lodge a protest against the project itself. The protesters also demanded hike in the VAT amount and asked to hand over the collected surcharge directly to the municipal committees. They also wanted the state government to compensate the bills, which were waived by the local bodies department. Demanding basic equipment for all sweepers, the protesters rued that the part-time daily wage sweepers had been performing the job at a meagre remuneration for the last few years but nothing had been done for them. Finally, after a couple of hours, when Tehsilar Avtar Singh Makkar received their charter of demands and assured of sending it to the state government, the protesters lifted their dharna. Among others, Veer Bhan Bathinda, Kamal Malout, Gurbaksh Singh Kotkapura, Gurtej Singh Ferozepur and Chiman Lal Kotkapura addressed the gathering. |
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Customer Care Quick Connect
Bathinda, September 9 For the purpose, the BSNL has even deployed an official of the rank of sub-divisional engineer (SDE) at the CSC Gol Diggi from Wednesday to look after the work. Besides, instructions have also been issued to show more sensitivity towards customers' problems to the staff, said sources in the BSNL. Sources said the CSC Gol Diggi saw a sudden increase in the number of complaints when work for installation of the new software began. The consequent delay in issuing of landline bills had left many customers surprised in the past, while of late, the issuance of bills for the last two months - for June and July - in a short span of just five days has left many confused and worried, sources said, adding that moreover, no mention of fine or surcharge in case of payment of bills after due date in telephone bills was also making things complicated for several customers. In this backdrop, several customers were found facing inconvenience, particularly in the absence of 'proper' answers to their queries during the last several days and also on the last day of the due date. Customers were also found ruing about duplicate bills not being issued by the centre. When contacted on Thursday afternoon, Deputy General Manager (DGM), BSNL Bathinda, Amit Garg said the issues had been taken care of and an official of the rank of SDE had been posted at the centre for better customer care. The DGM said the matter of issuing duplicate bills had been resolved. The CSC at Gol Diggi has started issuing duplicate bills from Thursday. "Anyone seeking duplicate bills could ask for the same at the CSC Gol Diggi," the DGM said. He also said that there was, however, no need for duplicate bills for depositing bills. "Just mentioning the telephone number at the counter would serve the purpose," he added The CSC at Gol Diggi works between 10.30 am and 4.30 pm. There is, however, an half hour lunch break at 1.30 pm, he said, adding that customers would be entertained at counters that are open for any query and clarification during the period. He also said that the cash counter or bill depositing counters which would not be closed for lunch and might not entertain queries but is supposed to guide the customers properly. The DGM said that the CSC at Bharat Nagar works for 12 hours between 8 am and 8 pm. About late surcharge, the DGM said Rs 10 would be charged for Rs 500 and Rs 40 for the sum between Rs 500 and Rs 2,000. He added the surcharge would be adjusted in the next bill. |
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Assa Buttar basks in focal point glow
Assa Buttar (Muktsar), September 9 The focal point- a dream project of the chief minister Parkash Singh Badal--- was meant to cater to seven surrounding villages. It was inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai on November 22, 1977, amid much fanfare, recount the villagers. If the old-timers are to be relied upon, the focal point was set up with the idea of promoting small-scale industries, providing employment to villagers and ensuring their convenience by setting up a number of commercial establishments at one place. Though the project initially delivered way beyond expectations, later, a number of factors emerged including the change of governments, that brought about a change in the situation and it got neglected. During a visit to the focal point, The Tribune observed that it was spread over a large area of about 25 acres, which was once donated by the village Panchayat for the purpose. It has a government senior secondary school, co-operative society, rural health dispensary, gymnasium, medical shop, foodgrains procurement yard, co-operative bank, agricultural development office, veterinary hospital, a huge playground and also a liquor vend. Claiming that the focal point had proved to be beneficial for all, staff of the cooperative society said it had more than 700 members and it provided them facilities of tractor, agricultural tools, pesticides, fertilizers and some essential commodities. It also runs a diesel pump, having a sale of about 24,000 litres per month. The Cooperative Bank there has about 3,800 deposit accounts of villagers and about 4,000 loan accounts. It is informed that the bank run a business of about Rs 18 crore and ranked among the top banks of the district in recovering the loan amount. The senior secondary school, there, has a beautiful ambience and well maintained infrastructure with 225 students and takes pride in having produced many players. Besides, the liquor vend there also caters to the villagers minting about Rs 6,000 from daily sales. However, the school is facing a staff crunch with a number of posts lying vacant including of the principal. Likewise, there are only two persons to handle the accounts of thousands in the bank- branch manager and peon. Meanwhile, the co-operative society wants expansion, without which its business was getting hampered. The dispensary was once established as a five-bed rural hospital but with time, the government became ‘careless’ and it was converted into a dispensary to give only first-aid to the patients. There is a huge godown to store foodgrains but it is now in a dilapidated condition. Ironically, finding there was no caretaker, its iron shutters and grills were stolen. There was a beautiful canal rest house and a stable, located close to the focal point but with the passage of time both turned into a worn out structure. “There may be a lot of things requiring improvement we still term it as the best,” said a group of villagers, including Jaskaran Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Nihal Singh and Balwinder Singh, adding that, “it gave us a distinguished identity in the state. We have the hope that one day it will again shine as a model project,” said the confident villagers. Meanwhile, it was learnt that during a recent visit, both finance minister Manpreet Badal, who represents this assembly constituency and CM Parkash Singh Badal, had promised the villagers to give the focal point a facelift. |
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NREGA workers block Bathinda-Mansa road
Bhai Bakhtaur (Bathinda), September 9 Their demands related to implementation of National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) in its true spirit, registration of a case under the SC/ST Act against the persons who had allegedly attacked NREGA workers of Ghuman Kalan village, and withdrawal of case registered against Ghuman Kalan village's NREGA workers. Due to the road blockade, the police diverted traffic through an alternative routes which inconvenienced people. However, CPI district secretary, Jagjit Singh Joga, who was leading the protesters, later apologised to people for inconvenience saying that they had been left with no other option as the administration had not been listening to their demands for the past some weeks. The road blockade was lifted when the DSP Maur Gurmeet Singh and Naib Tehsildar Gurtej Singh Mansahia talked to the representatives of the protesters and assured them that the Maur SHO had been assigned the duty to investigate the case and verify the facts. The DSP also assured that the case would be settled in ten days. The Naib Tehsildar also talked to the BDPO Maur over the phone and fixed a meeting of the representatives of the protesters with him for talks tomorrow in his office at Maur at 11 am for the proper implementation of the NREGA. On the occasion, Joga said they had suspended their agitation till September 20. Till then, if the administration failed to settle the case they would again block the road at this place for an indefinite period. He said they wanted to reach a compromise on the issue to prevent the situation from going out of hand but the other party was not ready for it. Among others who were present or addressed the protesters included district president of Punjab Kisan Sabha Balkaran Singh Brar, district general secretary of Khet Mazdoor Sabha Harbans Singh Bathinda and a leader of the Bharatiya Kisan Union Baldev
Sandoha. |
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Cancer-hit village
Abohar, September 9 Meanwhile, reports of the samples, taken jointly by the respective officials of the health and water resources department and the Punjab Pollution Control Board in the villages located near the international border in the Fazilka-Jalalabad segments, have also started pouring in indicating abnormal presence of fluoride contents. The district authorities have also reportedly assured that the BPL families will be offered
an insurance cover worth Rs 30,000 under the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna in the affected villages. Meanwhile, Khazan Chand, former sarpanch and Vijay Pradhan, panch of village Dangarkhera informed that the letters have been faxed to the CM Parkash Singh Badal, health minister Prof Laxmi Kanta Chawla and others urging them to get a survey conducted by experts to find out the reason behind the high incidence of cancer in the village. They regretted that the health officials had discontinued supply of chlorine tablets for purifying drinking water in the village. Regretfully, the persons suffering from cancer had not so far received any financial assistance from the state government, they said. |
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1984 riots
Moga, September 9 They handed over a memorandum to the additional deputy commissioner demanding issuing of red cards to the victims, who settled in Punjab and order a probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the alleged conspiracy of riots by a handful of persons belonging to a particular political party. The protesters held a meeting
at a local gurudwara expressing anguish at the denial of justice even after 26 years. Karnail Singh Peer Mohammad, who led the protest here, said the Nanavati Commission’s probe into the anti-Sikh riots could achieve historic results if it was carried out on the lines of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Rajinder Singh, president of the victims’ association said hundreds of victims were still left without any compensation even after 26 years. |
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BJP MLA for dist HQ status to Fazilka
Fazilka, September 9 Jyani denied the charges of land grabbers being active in Fazilka. The MLA also denied allegations of encroachment by the members of the ruling party. He said in certain cases, the matter is sub- judice and the decision of the courts would be obeyed. |
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Moga drug inspector’s graft case
Moga, September 9 The acquittal has come as a shock for the senior authorities of the state Vigilance Bureau because this agency had recently taken the plea that Sukhdev manipulated the arrest of the drug inspector. On the basis of the plea, the agency filed an application for cancellation of an FIR against Luthra, which was still pending for decision. Defence counsel Ramesh Grover said Sukhdev has been acquitted by the court as ‘link evidence was missing’ against him. Moreover, charges levelled against him did not come under the NDPS Act, he added. |
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Two of a family die in mishap
Barnala, September 9 Sources said the only male member, Pankaj Sehgal of Ludhiana, died on the way to Dayanand Medical College (DMC) while Ananya, the baby girl died in the mishap that took place at Mehta Chungi Nakka near Tapa this morning. The injured, Pankaj, Indira and Pooja Sehgal, were rushed by the workers of the Sahara Foundation to the Government Hospital in Tapa wherefrom doctors referred them to DMC Ludhiana.
— TNS |
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20-yr-old girl found dead on rail tracks
Bathinda, September 9 According to volunteers of the Sahara Jan Seva, receiving information that a girl was found crushed on the track, they rushed to the spot. Reaching there, they found the girl had succumbed to the injuries and reported the matter to the GRP. Collecting the things lying there, the Sahara volunteers observed that she was a
student and tracing numbers from her mobile phone, they informed her parents about the incident. Sensing that the death appeared to be mysterious, the GRP staff initiated the inquest proceedings and after postmortem, handed over the body to the bereaved kin. |
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Workshop on maternal health held
Bathinda, September 9 School Health Officer Dr Kundan Lal, a gynaecologist Dr Dheera Gupta and a child specialist Dr Satish Jindal educated the gathering about their respective medical fields. |
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Since its constitution in January 2010, the Minority Commission, Punjab, has received about 800 complaints from the minority communities from various parts of the state. Out of the total complaints, the Commission has settled about 200 so far while necessary action is being initiated in the remaining cases.
