Bathinda, March 3
To reduce pollution in the city, the state government is going to launch three-wheeled radio auto-rickshaws within the municipal limits of Bathinda. These auto-rickshaws would run on LPG/CNG. However, in the absence of any auto LPG-CNG station in the city, residents are skeptical that the scheme would meet success. They also believe that it would encourage illegal consumption of domestic LPG as fuel.

“I have read that the state transport authority is going to launch the scheme at the earliest. It only shows the lack of vision of the authorities concerned. Before launching such a scheme, auto LPG and CNG filling stations must be installed in the city,” said a local businessman, Sham Lal Mittal.

A retired bank employee, Bal Krishan, said, “We are already reeling under acute shortage of domestic LPG. The introduction of LPG auto rickshaws will turn the situation from bad to worse as the auto-rickshaw operators would start using domestic LPG for commercial purposes.”

It may be mentioned that there is one auto LPG station located at Bhucho village, which is nearly 10 km away from the city limits. The routine sale and experience of the owner of that pump show that due to non-existence of any check, majority of people make use of domestic cylinders to run their LPG-fuelled vehicles.

Municipal Commissioner, Bathinda, Uma Shankar assured to check the use of domestic LPG in vehicles. However, he added, “Without installing auto LPG and CNG station within the municipal limits, the success of the scheme would not come easy. After consulting the transport authorities, I will take up the matter with the Ministry of Petroleum to set up auto gas pumps in the city.”

District coordinator for the LPG supply Suresh Kumar said, “In absence of any check, usage of domestic LPG as fuel is going on unabated thereby creating shortage of LPG for domestic consumers. We had once chalked a proposal to install an auto gas pump in the city but finding the sales of the only gas station at Bhucho Mand not encouraging enough, we did not proceed further on the proposal.”

Secretary of Regional Transport Aauthority Bhupinder Singh said he would discuss the matter with the higher authorities.

Abohar, March 3
Scores of women, carrying lathies, shouted slogans and stalled the process of evicting ten families from their houses, located on the prime land at village Patti Billa of this sub-division, today. Besides, school going children were also found carrying bats and hockey sticks.

Though some members of the village panchayat, for the time being, succeeded in preventing clash between the protesters and the police, the situation remained tense till filing of this news.

As per the details, a family of landlords based at Abohar claimed having purchased two kanal and 16 marla of land at village Patti Billa on November 7, 1984.

Some persons, who were allegedly in possession over a part of the land, refused to vacate it. This prompted the buyers file a suit in the local court in 1992.

After about 30 months of hearing, the court reportedly directed 10 families, including two headed by widows, to pay rent at the rate Rs 10,000 per annum for using the disputed land and vacate it.

It is said that the occupants did not comply with the directions. While responding to the fresh directions from the court, Revenue officials of Khuyiansarwar sub-tehsil along with the DSP and scores of cops including lady cops drawn from different police stations besides the district police lines today stormed at the village and gave an ultimatum to the occupants to vacate the houses.

Sunita, Maya Devi, Chet Ram, Sohan Lal, Ami Chand, Daya Ram, Tara Chand, Nikka Ram and Ramji Lal revealed to the media that they had been residing there for the past four decades.

They had been paying electricity and water charges against the connections released by the departments concerned. Later, some members of the panchayat succeeded in bringing the warring factions to negotiations which were going on till the filing of the news.

Bathinda, March 3
Members and activists of various farmer and labourer organisations today staged a dharna outside the residence of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Jagdip Singh Nakai at Rampura in support of their demands, including waiving off domestic power bills of labourers and canal water cess charged on farmers.

Earlier, the protesters gathered at Lehra Dhurkot village and held a rally there. Later, they marched towards the residence of Nakai while raising slogans against the state government and in support of their demands.

State president of BKU (Ekta) Buta Singh Burj Gill, state senior vice-president of BKU (Ugrahan) Jhanda Singh Jethuke, state president of Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union Zora Singh Nasrali, state working committee member of Dehati Mazdoor Sabha Mahipal, district president of BKU (Krantikari) Sarmukh Singh Selbara and district president of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha Harwinder Singh Sema were among those who participated in the protest.

Addressing the protesters, the speakers said their agitation would continue till the government accepted their demands.

The protesters also demanded scrapping of the Electricity Bill -2003 and revival of the Punjab State Electricity Board. They also asked the government to do away with the policies of privatisation in the state.

Abohar, March 3
Senior leaders of the farming community in Ferozepur and Sriganganagar districts have joined hands to oppose the repair of about 70 pressure release valves that had been fixed on the floor bed of the Gang (Bikaner) Canal during its remodelling that cost about Rs 466 crore to the Rajasthan government.

A deputation of farmers, led by Prem Kularia, vice-chairman, Zila Parishad, Ferozepur, was joined by Hans Raj Poonia, convener, Gang Canal Bachao Samiti, in meeting Mugdha Sinha, District Collector, Sriganganagar. They regretted that the Rajasthan government was releasing Rs 45 lakh to the Irrigation Department (Punjab) for repairing the pressure release valves, which were allegedly damaged by some unscrupulous farmers to draw more water through the tubewells, which were illegally installed on both sides of the canal in Fazilka, Abohar and Balluana segments of the Ferozepur district.

Seepage of water through the valves had caused waterlogging in Khuikhera and neighbouring villages, located around Abohar-Fazilka road (national highway 10).

Kularia said farmers of the villages located near the Gang Canal were able to grow crops partly last year but now, they fear a complete loss as the situation has aggravated.

Poonia said the Punjab irrigation officials had demanded an additional Rs 1.92 crore for the repair of the Gang Canal but this might not increase the flow of water through the canal to the Sriganganagar district.

The deputation demanded that all the pressure check valves should be completely closed to prevent the loss of water to Rajasthan.

Poonia said the Skoda system should be installed at Khakha head works to measure the flow of water from Punjab. This would help in checking evasion of water.

While joining the issue, Captain Subhash Sehgal, spokesman, Rajasthan Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, revealed to The Tribune that the joint inspection team of engineers from Rajasthan and Punjab had on September 11, 2003 observed that the construction of the floor bed of the Gang canal was sub-standard. Till date, the responsibility has not been fixed for this.

Wild shrubs had grown up in the canal and the contractors had not removed the waste material that was dumped therein. Water was released in July 2005 after remodelling but desilting was done only once in 2007. Now, the Rajasthan government has arranged Rs 620 crore to carry the pending remodelling work but cleaning and repair of the canal in the Ferozepur district area must be completed during the proposed closure in April, this year.

Bathinda, March 3
The Civil Lines police today nabbed 10 persons for taking an illegal possession of a house located on the Bhagu road here.

In his complaint with the police, owner of the house Vimal Kumar Singla stated that he had rented out his house to a doctor and it was allegedly captured by some mafia. The police conducted a raid at the place and found over dozen persons there. On seeing cops, some of them fled from the spot but the cops caught hold of 10 persons.

The police recovered some weapons and two four-wheelers from their possession. A case has been registered.

The investigation officer, Kanwar Jaswinder Singh, said majority of the accused belonged to Moga and Ludhiana districts and the police was conducting raids to arrest their accomplices. — TNS

Ferozepur, March 3
The team of the Pine Division got the third place in the ongoing Western Command Football Championship by defeating the host team of the Golden Arrow Division on the ninth day of the championship, today.

Both Pine Division and Golden Arrow teams could not reach final as they were defeated by their opponent teams in the semi-final encounters. In one-sided match from the beginning, the Pine Division team crushed Golden Arrow Division 6-0.

The match was played between both the teams for the third and the fourth position of the championship, respectively. Mohinder Thami scored consecutive three goals in the 1st, 11th and 17th minutes of the game and Dil Kumar, Dipen Chhetri and JM Tinu scored one goal each in the 28th, 44th and 82nd minute of the game. The final match of the championship will be played between the Rising Star Corps troops and Tiger Division, tomorrow.

Sriganganagar, March 3
Three persons, two of them students, were killed in road mishaps in the region while a youth died in the district jail at Hanumangarh today.

Sources said Jagdeep and Pawan Kumar of village Sheopur Dhaani were killed as a truck allegedly hit the motorcycle that they were riding near village Luddhi Jhabar on the national highway today.The police have seized the truck and registered a case against its driver.

One Krishna Ram was killed while five others were hurt as the jeep by which they were travelling overturned near village Rajera, sources said.

In yet another mishap, Suresh Jat (26) (under trial) of village Lakhasar (Nohar) died reportedly due to cardiac arrest in the district jail at Hanumangarh today. Superintendent Mahesh Chander Bairwa said postmortem was conducted in the presence of Ranjna Saraf, Judicial Magistrate by a medical board. — OC

Barnala, March 3
The Barnala police have arrested two persons for preparing fake currency and recovered it from their possession from the Link road Pharwahi area here.

Gurpreet Singh Toor, SSP, Barnala, said on February 28, ASI Baljit Singh, CIA Staff, Barnala, along with the police party on patrolling at Link Road, Pharwahi, received secret information in this connection.

The accused were arrested at the bus stand Pharwahi. The SSP said fake currency notes of Rs 35200, Rs100 denomination were recovered from Devinder Singh while fake currency notes of Rs 54,800 of the same denomination were recovered from the possession of Ajay Kumar. A case under sections of the IPC was registered against them. The SSP the police remand was obtained from the court (Barnala) on March 1. “Investigation is on in the case,” the SSP said.

Ferozepur, March 3
Two employees of an automobile company sustained serious injuries when the car by which they were travelling was allegedly hit by a private AC bus on the Ferozpur-Moga road today evening.

As per the details available, Satnam Singh and Rohin, working at Baba Autos as car mechanics, had gone for a test drive.

AC bus belonging to a private transport company coming from Fazilka hit the car while trying to overtake a tractor-trolley on the main GT Road on the outskirts of the town.

Satnam Singh was referred to a local private hospital while Rohin has been sent to the DMC Ludhiana.

Sriganganagar, March 3
An intruder from the neighbouring West Punjab province of Pakistan was shot dead by the BSF patrolling party last night at village Chak 5-FD under the jurisdiction of Gajsinghpur police station in Raisinghnagar sub-division of the border district.

The intruder was noticed proceeding to the Indian land after crossing the Zero line at about 8 pm on Wednesday. As he ignored the warning given by the BSF patrolling party, the latter opened fire resulting in his death on the spot.

During the search, Rs 26 in Pakistan currency and a sachet of Gutka was recovered. SP Rupinder Singh and senior BSF officials visited the area today. During a flag meeting, the Pakistan Rangers refused to accept the body.Postmortem report revealed that two bullets hit him. He was cremated near the international border as per the rituals. — OC