Mansa, June 2
All the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar of this district today observed strike by skipping their official work to lodge their protest against the registration of criminal case against Kala Ram Kansal, Tehsildar, Budhlada, in the city police station, Budhlada.

All the revenue officials of this district, who held a meeting, decided to go on leave on Friday also to lodge their protest against the alleged implication of Kansal into false criminal case. On the other hand, Punjab Revenue Officers Association, which has endorsed the action taken by the revenue officials of this district, has decided to hold its meeting at Bathinda on June 4 to decide the future course of action in the case.

Information gathered by the TNS revealed that Punjab Revenue Officers Association might give a call to revenue officials of the state to go on mass leave if the matter connected with the alleged implication of Kansal into a false criminal case was not sorted out by the authorities concerned. A case under Prevention of Corruption Act was registered against Kansal and Bholi Ram, a petition writer, on the complaint of Moti Ram in Budhlada police station after Deputy Commissioner, Mansa, Ravinder Singh intervened into the matter.

Moti Ram had alleged in his complaint made to police authorities that Bholi Ram had taken money from him to bribe Kansal for getting the registration of transfer of land purchased by him from another person.

Ravinder Singh, Deputy Commissioner, while dubbing the action of the revenue officials of Mansa district as unjustified, said before going on strike, the revenue official must have verified the facts, which had led to registration of case against Kansal.

Claiming that the case against Kansal was registered by the police authorities without taking him into confidence, he said Kansal must move a representation to him so that his case could be examined on merits. He said if Kansal was found innocent, corrective measures would be taken and case against him would be withdrawn.

Bathinda, June 2
In a shocking revelation, as many as 6,871 children (6-14 years) in Bathinda district are found suffering either from mental or physical disability. Of these, 3,302 are girls.

As per the details collected by the education department through various surveys, 3,145 children in the district are suffering from visual impairment, 877 from hearing impairment and 698 from orthopedic disability. Besides, 648 are victims of mental retardation, 275 of cerebral palsy, 52 of autism, 912 of the learning disability (including slow learning) and 264 are facing multiple disabilities.

The staff and volunteers of the education department have collected the data under the Inclusive Education for Disabled (IED), a special component of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), which ensures that each of the children with special needs is provided with a meaningful and quality education.

After identification, the education department officials are now going for formal assessment, appropriate educational placement and preparation of Individualised Educational Plan (IEP).

A large number of such children are admitted in the 41 resources rooms located in the district. Apart from this, the education volunteers have been assigned to visit hundreds of children, who are not capable enough to visit the resource room/ school, personally to provide home-based education, which includes training to deal with routine needs.

Though a majority of the children in the district have been provided with the required aids and appliances, a case for the requirement of 351 children has been recommended to the union ministry this week.

The district coordinator of the IED component, Ram Pal Singh, said, “Earlier, the special children used to avoid schools or leave it mid way due to one or the other disability. Under the IED, we provide the best possible aid/appliance to help a special child to get at least the basic education.”

He rued, “Despite best efforts of the education department, a large number of parents still do not show much interest in the scheme that may lead their children to suffer the whole life.”

Bathinda, June 2
MR Parhar has assumed the charge of chief engineer (O&M) at the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP), Lehra Mohabbat, on Wednesday.

The information officer of the GHTP mentioned in a press release that Parhar worked as deputy chief engineer (C&I) for about two years.

Born in Solan district, Parhar did his graduation in engineering from the Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College, Ludhiana, in 1976. He served the distribution wing of the PSEB from 1978-1993 and later, joined the thermal organisation.

Bathinda, June 2
The three-day protest dharna by labourer and farmer organisations entered its second day outside the Mini-secretariat here today. A large number of farmers and labourers took part in support of their demands.

Addressing the dharna, the protesters said they had no other alternative except for organising mass struggles to get rid of "anti-people" policies of the governments in the state and at the Centre. They announced that they would continue their agitation till the acceptance of their demands.

Among others who were present or addressed the dharna included state president of BKU (Krantikari) Surjit Singh Phul, state president of BKU (Dakonda) Buta Singh Burjgill, state working committee members of Dehati Mazdoor Sabha Mahipal and Mithu Singh Ghuda.

Abohar, June 2
Senior railway officials led by Ambala Division Railway Manager (DRM) Prem Kumar Sanghi today discussed the modalities for the construction of railway over bridge (RoB) on the manned level crossing near the abandoned Bhawani Cotton Mills here. The Public Works Department (Punjab) had already conducted survey and prepared site plan for the project responding to the persistent demand by several NGOs. The Municipal Council has urged the Central and State Government to sanction the RoB.

An RoB was earlier been provided on the state highway here, last year. The DRM said the Punjab Government will have to share 50 per cent cost of the RoB as per the norms. The team examined the proposal to provide pucca road alongside the railway boundary wall to facilitate movement of thousands of citizens who have to cross the railway track at present.

The team examined the status of basic amenities at the railway station and reiterated that it would be updated to give the station a look of model station. The commuters demanded that potable canal water should be made available at the platforms since ground water was not considered fit.