Bathinda, March 8
The pen-down strike by the employees of the Bathinda Block Panchayat Samiti, including Panchayat Secretaries, today entered the second day in protest against the non-payment of salaries to them for four months (November 2010 to February 2011).

The agitating employees also held a dharna in front of the office of the Block Panchayat Samiti here.

President of the Panchayat Secretary Union Punjab Gurjiwan Singh said the non-payment of salaries was not restricted just to Bathinda district as the employees, including Panchayat Secretaries, had also been awaiting their salaries for many months in various blocks of the Patiala, Sangrur, Faridkot, Muktsar, Ferozepur and Moga districts.

According to Gurjiwan Singh, in Bathinda district the employees of Block Panchayat Samitis of Maur, Rampura and Sangat blocks today also held dharnas, protesting against the non-payment of salaries to them for different periods.

Gurjiwan said that on February 18, a deputation of the union had met the Director, Panchayats, Punjab, in this regard. The Director had assured that the salary grants to the Samitis would be released in two-three days, but to no avail, he added.

He said that on the one hand, the Punjab government was observing the current year as the year of development while on the other, development had been badly affected due to non-payment of salaries to them.

Due to this, the Panchayat Secretaries and other Samiti employees have been facing many hardships in running their household affairs.

Panchayat secretaries say that they are even unable to deposit their installments for different types of loans, including house loan.

When contacted, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO) Parampal Kaur said it was correct that these employees had not got their salaries for some months.

The salaries could not be paid as the Samiti had not got the necessary grants from the state headquarter so far, she added. 

Bathinda, March 8
In the light of instructions issued by the Punjab State AIDS Control Society, the district health authorities today celebrated the International Women's Day at the Teachers' Home here. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr Raghbir Singh Randhawa presided over the programme.

Dr Randhawa said that equality for women in the fields of education, science and technology was a must so that they could work in a proper manner. He also asked the women to become more vigilant about everything, occurring in society. He said that if a woman had proper information about HIV/AIDS then she could show the right path to the entire family, including children, and protect it.

Dr Dhira Gupta gave information on how the HIV can spread from a man to a woman, and then from the woman to the child.

District Programme Officer, National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Gyatri Mahajan urged the women to come forward in every walk of life in a big way. If a woman had good knowledge of science and technology then she could become more successful in life, she added.

On the occasion, a skit, regarding HIV/AIDS, was also staged. An exhibition, on health awareness, was organised by the Mass Media wing of the Civil Surgeon's office.

Anganwari workers, students of Mahant Gurbanta Dass Nursing School and NGO workers also took part in the function. 

Bathinda, March 8
That the International Women's Day should not be limited to mere slogans and speeches and a lot more needs to be done for the fair sex, was amply brought to the fore today when volunteers of an NGO stumbled upon a girl addicted to drugs.

It came as an indication that the tall claims of the governments and social organizations of taking steps to improve the lives of women not withstanding, much remains to be done.

The teenaged girl was found lying in the middle of the road in Puja Wala Mohalla here by Sahara Jan Seva workers.

Finding the girl heavily intoxicated, the volunteers of the NGO rushed her to the Civil Hospital, where the doctors confirmed that she was under the influence of strong toxicants and began treatment.

In the emergency ward of the hospital, the girl, who appeared to be inebriated, disclosed her identity as 18-year-old Julie of Himachal Pradesh.

Narrating her plight, the girl said she was the second of the four daughters of her parents, who had separated after a dispute. Her mother then took her to Delhi, where she sold her to someone from Bathinda.

"After exploiting me sexually, he made me join an orchestra, where I came in contact with a boy, Sethi from Bathinda, who then lead me towards drugs saying it relieved stress. Once I became addicted, Sethi also started physically abused me and even pushed me into prostitution," said Julie.

Speaking further, she said, "After some time, Sethi died but by that time I had become so addicted to drugs that it became tough for me to survive without it. Meanwhile, one Raju of Bathinda took me to his house in Puja Wala Mohalla and started fulfilling my need for drugs and in return, exploited me sexually."

"Sometime back, the police arrested him in a case of drug pedalling. After that, his family members started beating me up and today they threw me out," alleged Julie.

Asked where Raju used to get drugs from, she named a medical store in Dabwali of Sirsa district in Haryana.

When asked if she was willing to shun drugs, she refused saying, "It has become my basic need and I can not survive without it. But I want a job where I can earn enough and meet my expenses on drugs."

Sahara Jan Seva president Vijay Goyal said finding the girl in a pathetic state, the NGO had initiated the process to send her to Nari Niketan. He expressed his concern over this tragic tale that had unfolded on International Women's Day.

Bathinda, March 8
After four-year long proceedings in a corruption case, the District and Sessions judge SK Aggarwal today awarded the accused Jugraj Singh, who was then a Junior Engineer (JE) with the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) at Nathana in Bathinda district, imprisonment of two years and three months along with a fine of Rs 2,500.

Giving details, SSP Vigilance Bureau, Bathinda, Sukhdev Singh Chahal said the accused had received bribe from one Joginder Singh of village Dhelwan to prepare an estimate for the power connection at his flour mill.

Though the accused had demanded Rs 10,000, the deal was settled at Rs 2,000, which the then DSP (VB) Choohar Singh along with an official witness recovered from the accused.

A case was registered in February 2007 under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act at the VB police station in Bathinda.

Bathinda, March 8
The Assistant Project Officer (Monitoring) of Bathinda District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) Sadhu Ram Kusla has been reinstated by the state government, as per the order issued by Financial Commissioner and Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayat, Government of Punjab.

He has been reinstated pending inquiry. Kusla was suspended more than four months ago.

Bathinda unit president of the DRDA Staff Welfare Association Jaswinder Singh Walia and convener of Jabar Virodhi Front Rajnish Rana, in a press note issued here today, said that Kusla had been suspended by the government without hearing his version. Due to it, the decision of the government had been opposed from various quarters by organising dharnas and taking out protest marches.

Both leaders claimed that Kusla had been suspended as he had raised voice against female foeticide and corruption.

They also said that the government had failed in issuing a charge-sheet against him even during the four months of his suspension period. 

Barnala, March 8
Belying the claim of his cousin and Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal that the Central debt figure was Rs 3500 crore and not Rs 35000 crore and that the rest of the debt was in the form of RBI and bank bonds, small saving schemes etc in which the Central government cannot interfere, former FM Manpreet Singh Badal today said the debt is Rs 71,000 crores and it needs to be brought down.

Manpreet went on to say that since the revenue debt is Rs 5,000 crores, the government has to borrow money to get rid of this debt which ultimately affects the development activities since the money for clearing debt could have been used for developmental activities.

“If we have to run our house by borrowing, for how long can we run it,” Manpreet said while speaking on the sidelines of a public meeting organised by Naresh Kumari Bawa at Barnala.

Earlier while addressing the public meeting at Barnala, Manpreet ruled out that he will name his party, which he will announce at Khatkar Kalaaan on March 27, as Akali Dal, saying, “I will reveal the name there only at the venue.” He added that he had to postpone the date of his rally at Khatkar Kalaan as it would have led to a stampede at the venue since the ruling party and Congress are also holding rally on the same day on March 23.

A former MLA from Sherpur Raj Singh Kheri, who won the last assembly election as a BSP candidate, also reportedly joined Manpreet Badal.

Ferozepur, March 8
The body of Bharat Singh Bisht, a clerk in the local DAV College for Women, in the cantonment area here, who was missing under mysterious circumstances since February 21, was found in one of the storerooms of the college, today.

As per the details, the missing report was registered with police authorities. The body was in bad shape and there were blood stains on its stomach and chest. Senior police functionaries including SSP Kaustab Sharma also visited the college premises.

The storeroom was opened after a foul smell started emanating from it. How the body of Bharat was taken inside the storeroom, when both its doors were bolted, could not be known yet.

The cause of the death was yet to be ascertained. The family members of Bharat alleged that he had requested the college authorities by to reduce his workload, time and again but to no avail.

Bharat was working in the college for more than two decades.

Pushpinder Walia, principal of the college, while denying the allegations, said she was also shocked over his death. She said even the wife of Bharat had been given employment in the college during this academic season.

She said the police was investigating the matter. Police said the exact cause of death would be known only after the postmortem, which is likely to be conducted tomorrow.

Jalalabad /Ferozepur/ Moga/ Abohar, March 8
Hundreds of activists of the All India Aaganwari Workers-Helpers Union (AITUC) observed the International Women’s Day today by holding a function at Jalalabad to express their anger against the Punjab government for denial of full wages to them.

The Aanganwari workers from all parts of the Ferozepur district alleged that when the Minimum Wages Act was passed in 1948 ensuring that all the workers be given minimum wages by their organisations concerned, why was the Punjab government paying less wages to them? They warned that if the government did not start paying wages to them as per the Minimum Wages Act, they would approach the court for justice.

“On the one hand, the Punjab government has been making tall claims that women were being taken care of under their rule and on the other, the Aaganwari workers are being discriminated in the payment of wages,” they alleged.

Meanwhile, a special function was held by the district legal services authority in the Ferozepur Central Jail for educating its women inmates about their legal rights. Jaspal Singh, District and Sessions judge, accompanied by his wife and other judicial officers and members of the jail staff including its superintendent LS Jakhar and KD Syal, president, District Bar Association, Ferozepur, spoke on the 
occasion.

In Moga, the students of Dr Shyam Lal Thapar College of Nursing celebrated the International Women’s Day in the Rajiv Gandhi Auditorium on the college premises at Moga on Tuesday. Dr Malti Thapar, former minister and chairman of the college, presided over the function. A seminar on ‘Equal access to education, training, science and technology, pathway to decent work for women’ was also organised by the students.

Dr Thapar said she brought a resolution in 1992 in the state legislative assembly to declare March 8 as a holiday but the SAD-BJP government has not declared it as a holiday.

Meanwhile, in Abohar, the Punjab State Social Welfare Board was joined by an NGO, Building Bright Generation, in organising a function to celebrate the International Women’s Day at the Gopi Chand Arya Mahila College here. Chairperson Vijay Luxmi Bhadoo honoured nine girls on the occasion AICC member and former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar lauded the efforts of the Board.

Principal Dr Neelam Arun Mittu and Bhawna Sawhney, president of the NGO, welcomed the guests. Veteran social activist Madan Lal Bhalothia and Dr DP Godara, Assistant Civil Surgeon were special guests. Principal Dr Venita Singh and Manch chairman BL Sikka, former SDM, welcomed the dignitaries. SDM Jasdeep Singh Aulakh was the chief guest.

Nurpur Sethan (Ferozepur), March 8
All the 21 youth including eight girls, hailing from the Kupwara district of Jammu & Kashmir, were full of emotions when they left this village for their native place last evening. The ten-day Youth Club Exchange Programme (YCEP) concluded on Monday.

The residents accorded them a warm send-off. Mohammad Ashraf and Sahina Akhtar, group leaders, said, “The village has become a second home for us. This was a journey to the land where humanity and hospitality still exist.” Other members expressed the same feelings.

The youth were taken to the Golden Temple, National Martyrs’ Memorial, and the joint check-post at Hussainiwala to see the retreat ceremony, Barki Memorial, Saragarhi Gurudwara, Gurudwara Jamni Sahib, Bazidpur, Anglo-Sikh War memorial, Ferozeshah and Mudki, Sher Shah Wali Dargah and Tilla Sheikh Baba Farid in Faridkot. 

Abohar, March 8
While criticising the local police for inaction, the Council of Junior Engineers has warned that complete strike would be observed, if the persons accused of attacking Powercom officials, were not arrested within two days.

During an emergency meeting held here today, Jai Chand Maheshwari, president of the Council, resented that the police had not so far arrested any of the half a dozen persons, who were booked under Sections 353, 186, 148 and 149 of the IPC for attacking the Powercom officials on Saturday.

A team led by SDO Surinder Singh Behal and junior engineer Pyare Lal had gone to Subhash Nagar to recover dues and knocked at the door of defaulters, who owed Rs 40,000 on account of non-payment of electricity charges.

As no one responded, the team disconnected power supply by removing illegal connections and moved ahead to recover dues from other consumers. Meanwhile, half a dozen persons led by one Gurjant Singh allegedly chased and attacked the officials with swords and other sharp-edged weapons.

Nirmal Singh, president, Technical Services Union (TSU), extended support to the JE Council and regretted that the attitude of the police would boost the morale of the unscrupulous elements indulging in the theft of electricity besides defaulting in the payment of electricity bills. The electricity staff felt insecure after the incident, he added.