Bathinda, September 29
Uncovered garbage containers, scattered filth, choked drains and stagnant water across the city, including the main road, have made city residents prone to a number of mosquito-borne infectious diseases like malaria but the Bathinda Municipal Corporation (BMC) authorities are yet to wake up from their deep slumber.

During a random survey of the city, TNS observed that the water accumulated on both sides of the Bathinda-Goniana road for days was proving to be a breeding place for all insects and flies.

Heaps of muck drawn from the main sewerage channel is lying in the middle of the road. The residential colony located behind the wholesale cloth market has been turned into a garbage dump. The scattered filth and foul smell emitting from it is an open invitation to epidemic outbreak in the colony.

Uncovered garbage containers on the Namdev Nagar main road have become a major health hazard for the densely-populated locality. Repeated representation to the municipal authorities failed to draw a favourable response.

Ironically, trucks of the BMC ply on the city roads carrying uncovered garbage containers emitting foul smell.

Further, the drain channels in various localities were found lying uncovered and at many places, these were choked. Residents living nearby informed that they had lodged a number of complaints with the BMC officials but to no avail.

About the scheduled visits of fogging machines for medicinal spray to check the breeding of infectious mosquito and flies, they said, “Except for issuing statements to the press, the BMC officials take no pains to check whether the machines were working properly or not.”

When contacted, BMC Commissioner Ravi Bhagat said, “We are monitoring the issues related to cleanliness on a priority basis. Still, if there is a problem, people can report it to me and I will ensure the complaint is redressed at the earliest.”

Bathinda, September 29
In support of their demands, members and activists of various farmer, labourer, employee, unemployed person, teacher and student organisations held a convention at the Teachers' Home and later, carried out a protest march here today.

Addressing the convention, the speakers criticised the central and state governments for implementing the policies of globalisation, privatisation and liberalisation, which were tarnishing the democracy. They said in democracy, they had a right to raise voice to get their demands implemented but the governments were stopping them from doing so by imposing bans on holding rallies and dharnas in one way or the other.

Among others who were present or addressed the convention included Attarjit Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Dr Raminder Singh, Swaranjit Bhagta, Jagmail Singh, Shingara Singh Mann and Jora Singh Nasrali.

Bathinda, September 29
On the call of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU), the ministerial staff (clerical cadre) observed pen-down strike in the government offices here today.

Led by state president of the union Darshan Singh Bajaj, they also held a rally on the premises of the Mini-secretariat and raised slogans against the state government and in favour of their demands.

The protesters held the state government responsible for the inconvenience being faced by the public due to their pen-down strike.

They said that as the state government failed to act upon the notices and memorandums sent to it by the PSMSU, they were compelled to observe the pen-down strike.

Bathinda, September 29
A suspected swine flu case, Sukhmander Singh (50), a resident of Katar Singh Wala village, who was admitted to a private hospital here on September 26, died today but due to some other disease.

District nodal officer for swine flu Dr RS Randhawa said as a suspected case, the patient's throat swab test for swine flu was conducted at the PGI, Chandigarh, on September 27.

As per the report received by the district health authorities here today, Sukhmander Singh had tested negative for swine flu, he added.

With regard to the causes of his death, Dr Randhawa said that the patient had been suffering from pneumonia and suspected pulmonary TB also. So, he had died due to some other disease but not swine flu, he added. — TNS

Bathinda, September 29
Mystery shrouds the death of two close friends, whose bodies were found hanging from a tree at Rayia village of this district today.

In the absence of a suicide note or an eye-witness, the Phul police handed over the bodies to the bereaved kin after conducting the post-mortem at the Civil Hospital, Rampura. It has initiated the inquest proceedings to ascertain the cause of death.

The deceased have been identified as Gurwinder Singh alias Gopi (22) of village Nainewala in Barnala district and Gursewak Singh (23) of village Tallewala in Barnala district.

Giving information, police officials said that Gursewak's father Sukhchain Singh, a farmer by profession, did not suspect anyone.

Sukhchain further stated that the deceased were drug addicts and since they did not have money to pay for the drugs, they could have taken the extreme step.

Acting upon his statement and considering the circumstances, the police initiated the inquest proceedings under section 174 of the CrPC.

Bathinda: The State Bank of Patiala (SBoP) on Wednesday opened eight new branches at Teona (Bathinda); Mamdot and Mandi Ladhuka (Ferozepur); Fatehgarh Panjtoor (Moga); and Sangria, Tibi, Dabli Rathan and Bhadra (Hanumangarh).

DGM Rajesh Gupta said the Bathinda zone covered six districts of Punjab and two districts of Rajasthan with a total business of over Rs 6,000 crore. — TNS

Bathinda, September 29
A mega family health camp was organised by the district health authorities at Ballianwali village, about 25 km from here today. Specialists in various disciplines examined the patients for general check-up besides diseases of heart, chest, abdomen, gynae, orthopaedics, eye, skin, and ear, nose and throat (ENT) etc. Ayurvedic and Homeopathic doctors also examined the patients at the camp.

Over 2100 patients were examined at the camp. Laboratory tests of about 180 patients were also conducted. Patients were also provided medicines free of cost.

Later, Civil Surgeon Dr Inder Dayal Goyal and senior medical officer (SMO) of Ballianwali Dr Amrik Singh Sandhu addressed the Sarpanches and Panches of nearby villages and thanked them for making the camp a big success.

Bathinda, September 29
The PSEB Engineers’ Association, GNDTP Region, Bathinda, held a regional protest meeting against the Punjab government and the management of the Powercom, at the Officers’ Club in Thermal Colony here today.

The house flayed the government and management's attitude towards the fulfillment of commitment made by them during restructuring the organisation i.e. signing a tripartite agreement, resolving the pending pay-revision related issues and execution of the Gidderbaha Thermal Project under state sector. Vice-president of the engineers’ body KS Mann presided over the meeting.

Giving details, regional secretary of the association, FPS Malhi said the house expressed full confidence in the central leadership and in one voice supported the agitation programme given by the central executive.

Meanwhile, the house also took a serious note of the way engineer fraternity was being treated in the organisation by those heading the Transco.

The house warned the state government and the management of the Powercom that if the issues of the tripartite agreement were not resolved, the agitation would be further intensified.

Fazilka, September 29
The tractor-trolley carrying 50 quintals of sugar belonging to the Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mills was detected by some farmers on Tuesday late evening alleging that there was apprehension of embezzlement in this consignment of sugar.

On getting information, the media persons reached the site. After scrutiny, the documents being carried along with the sugar displayed discrepancies.

The tractor driver showed three bill of this consignment. However, surprisingly, of the three bills, two bills had the same number (5) having different dates of September 24 and 27 mentioned on it. Each bill was for 15 quintals of sugar.

The third bill was serial number 6 of September 28. The bills with same number have raised many questions regarding the stock position in the sugar mill premises, said Bhartiya Kisan Union Fazilka unit, president, Parduman Kumar, who was present at the site.

Besides, as per the norms, a trolley of Fazilka Cooperative Mills can carry sugar up to 30 quintals but 50 quintals of sugar was being carried through this consignment.

Parduman Kumar has demanded a high-level probe into the matter.

The general manager of the Fazilka Cooperative Sugar Mills MS Bajwa has refused any misappropriation. He, however, maintained that the same number on different bills is a clerical oversight. Surprisingly, the bill numbers were not printed on the bills but were written by the billing clerk. Taking a serious note of the issue, the Sugarfed Punjab has initiated an inquiry in the matter and has sent a senior official BS Jafal to the sugar mill for conducting an inquiry and verification of the stocks lying in the sugar mill premises.

Surprisingly, the city police Fazilka after conducting an inquiry on Tuesday allowed the mill authorities to sort out the matter at their level.

Fazilka, September 29
Punjab and Haryana High Court has stayed the en masse transfers of 16 teachers of Government Senior Secondary School of the border village Karnikhera of this sub-division. The teachers were transferred due to the poor result of the students.

The High Court Judge Ajay Lamba has mentioned in his orders that the petitioners Jagdeep Siingh and others have drawn the attention of the court that the result delivered by them was above average as compared to the result of the state. Hence, the court directed to stay the transfer orders of the teachers.

The court has issued a notice of motion for October 14 to the secretary, education, Director General School Education, Punjab, DPI, district education officer Ferozepur and principal of the Government Senior Secondary School of village Karnikhera. As per the information, following the orders of the court, all the 16 transferred teachers have rejoined their duties at the Government Senior Secondary school today.

Notably, 16 staff members of the Government Senior Secondary School of village Karni Khera were transferred en masse last week on administrative grounds on the pretext of poor result of the school. They were transferred following the orders of principal secretary of the education department.

The teachers had pleaded that neither were they given an opportunity to explain their point of view and nor they were served a show cause notice. Hence, they knocked the door of the High Court and filed a writ petition before the court of Judge Ajay Lamba demanding cancellation of the transfer orders.

Notably, the residents of half a dozen villages staged a protest in the year 2009 and again on August 6 this year led by the Block Samiti member Pardeep Muthianwali demanding transfer of the entire staff except the principal. They had sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal mentioning that the result of the school was continuously poor and the teachers failed to impart quality education.

Abohar, September 29
The stir over prohibiting use of the decades-old passage through the Regional Centre of the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU) was resumed by people of the neighbouring villages and farmhouses by staging a dharna at the gate.

The PAU scientists reportedly expressed inability to honour the verbal directions given by a senior administrative official favouring the agitators, asserting that interests of the PAU could not be sacrificed.

The protesters including women indulged in sloganeering against the PAU and the state government throughout the day and threatened to continue the agitation for an indefinite period under the banner of the Jamhoori Kisan Sabha, a CPM outfit.

While supporting the agitators, Ramesh Singh and Radhey Shyam, sarpanches of village Dhaani Kadaka Singh and Taja Patti respectively, Balwant Singh, former member of Panchayat Samiti and Kulwant Singh Kirti, president of Jamhoori Kisan Sabha said hundreds of residents of the neighbouring villages and farmhouses had been using the passage to enter Abohar besides the abandoned seed farm of the state government that is now, by and large, under the possession of the tenants, most of them belonging to the Rai Sikh community.

On the other hand, station director Jagdev Singh Josan justified construction of the boundary wall along with the gate asserting that millions of rupees had been invested by the PAU utilising special grants from the Central government to grow different varieties of fruits for research.

Many a time, stray cattle were noticed roaming through the passage endangering valuable plants.

The visiting teams of experts had repeatedly advised that the Regional Centre must be covered by the boundary wall and no part of it should be allowed as thoroughfare.

The contractors too had feared loss of fruit yield earlier. The PAU vice-chancellor was also seized of the matter, sources indicated.

Ferozepur, September 29
Firebrand Congress MP and Member CWC, Jagmeet Brar today visited the flood-affected villages along the Indo-Pakistan border in this district.

He promised to take up the long-pending issues of the farmers belonging to these flood-prone villages with the union government. Brar said he interacted with the farmers belonging to village Chandiwala, Basti Ramlal, Dheera Patra, Gatti Rajoke where the Sutlej has destroyed hundreds of acres of standing crop.

Brar said there was a need to construct some bridges in these border villages as during the heavy rains and subsequent floods, these villages are virtually cut off from rest of the world. He added that for the time being, he would try to provide them with boats as a measure of interim relief besides green fodder for cattle.

While condemning the “lackadaisical” attitude of the SAD-BJP coalition government in the state, Brar said whatever funds are received from the Centre for development of the rural infrastructure, the state government has not been able to make optimum use of the same.

Brar claimed that during his recent meeting with Pawan Kumar Bansal (union minister), it came to his notice that the state government has not submitted any plan regarding flood protection due to which the union government could not sanction flood relief funds.

Moga, September 29
Realising the genetic potential of the indigenous breeds of cows and buffaloes, the Punjab government in its breeding farms is producing semen of good quality from the bulls, born out of high yielding mothers, which are being purchased from the farmers by paying them lucrative rates.

The major focus is on Sahiwal breed of cow, Murrah and Nili Ravi breed of buffaloes, which are high yielding indigenous breeds of cattle in the state. In the past two decades, it has been experienced that the progressive farmers started preferring crossbred cows for getting high yields of milk pushing aside the indigenous breeds. In the Moga district, where world's largest milk and food processing industry Nestle is located, the animal husbandry department has purchased 33 calves of Sahiwal breed of cow, Murrah and Nili Ravi breeds of buffaloes in the past few months to grow them as healthy bulls to extract quality semen for artificial insemination. Dr PC Mittal, deputy director of the department, while talking to The Tribune revealed that these calves have been bought at a rate of Rs 10,000 each by the government. "We have also bought some high yielding cows and buffaloes. For Murrah breed of buffalo yielding 18 litres of milk, we pay Rs 5,000 per litre and for high yielding cows 35 litres and above we pay Rs 2,500 per litre," he said.

Interestingly, when this scheme was at its initial stage of implementation in the Moga district, Harnek Singh, a progressive farmer of Rode village, in the mid of 2008 sold his Nili Ravi buffalo bull at Rs three lakh to a farmer of the nearby village, who started using the bull for natural breeding of buffaloes by getting money at the rate of Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per natural service. This was a wake up call for the government when the potential of indigenous breeds of bulls spread in the area after this sale. The progeny testing programme for developing healthy bulls was taken up by the animal husbandry department in October 2008 in the Moga district. Dr Mittal said to facilitate the farmers, the government has also started handing over of these bulls to the panchayats at the rate of just Rs 2,500 after getting its semen extracted for a couple of years for easy breeding practicing through natural service at the doorstep of farmers.

The bulls grown up in the breeding farms of the government do not acquire common infections, tuberculosis, johne and brucellosis diseases, which are otherwise very common in the villages.

“The main purpose of handing over these bulls back to panchayats is to encourage them to sell their calves to the government for growing them resistant to common diseases for healthy breeding practices,” he added.

Overall, the focus is to improve indigenous breeds by the method of selective breeding and by the use of progeny tested bulls. The semen of these proven bulls is being used in the herds of progressive farmers also.

Sriganganagar, Sept 29
Four students of Guru Harikrishan Public School (Sadulshehar) have topped in different streams during the district-level science fair that was organised by the Government Senior Secondary School (Lalgarh).

The winners including Lovpreet Singh, Arvinder Singh, Jitender Kumar and Mukesh Kumar were felicitated along with Ankush Sidana who got second prize during the morning assembly on Wednesday at Sadulshehar, Balkar Singh Brar, manager of the institution, informed. 

Barnala, September 29
A marriage palace near the district hospital here is causing serious problems to the patients. Besides, the people, who come to attend the wedding ceremonies at the marriage hall, too use the parking of the hospital.

Sources said the Bansal Marriage Palace near the district Hospital (Barnala) located on the new grain market road, owned by Dr Balinder Singh, District Family Welfare Officer, is more problematic for those who come to the emergency ward since marriage palace is located quite close to it. Though the authorities concerned have been apprised of this problem but to no avail, the residents added.

“Moreover, during the wedding ceremonies, music is played at high volume which is harmful for the heart patients. Especially, when my father, who is a heart patient, was admitted here, I realised the seriousness of the problem, Besides the irony is that when some patient dies and his kin carry his/her body, at times music remains on in the hall,” pointed out Vijay Kumar, son of Raj Kumar of Barnala, a heart patient. “The government must take action and immediately close down the marriage palace,”he added.

Another resident pleading anonymity said, “Besides creating nuisance, the authorities of marriage palace are also using the parking place of the hospital whenever there is some marriage or any other function in the marriage palace.”

Literally siding with his colleague and owner of the palace, Dr Bhagmal, Chief Medical Officer, Barnala, said, “Though marriage palace exists near our hospital, I have never seen any marriage happening there since the last six months.” “Since I have not seen any marriage taking place in the marriage palace, how can I complain against it,” he said. “I have heard that people lodged complaint against it and even the DC is aware of it,” the CMO added.

DC Barnala, Arshdeep Thind, expressed ignorance about the matter. “I have not got any complaint about this marriage palace. However, there is a Supreme Court direction regarding the permission given to marriage palace to play music. They have to get the permission from the SDM. You check with him,” he said. The SDM, Barnala, said he has not given any permission to this marriage palace on a permanent basis and it is given on event to event basis. “Within enclosure, they have to play music within limits. If they are violating the prescribed limits, action can be taken against them.”