Bathinda, July 16
The state irrigation authorities have decided to set up escape channels, cross regulators and recharge wells alongside canals, distributaries and minors to check the breaches in the irrigation channels crisscrossing the state.

Official sources said the authorities had decided to set up recharge wells alongside each outlet of the Raunta distributary passing through Moga, Faridkot and Bathinda districts. Besides that, escape channels and cross regulators have been proposed on various channels to divert water to drains whenever the demand for water went down drastically.

The authorities were forced to take these steps as breaches in irrigation channels, which were taking place due to human interference, have started causing huge losses to the irrigation system in the state in the past few years. The problem has acquired alarming dimension this season as every week there are reports of breaches taking place in canals, distributaries and minors.

About 50 breaches took place in the irrigation channels of the Malwa region in the past over three months. Most of them occurred due to overflowing irrigation channels. The problem arises when farmers close the outlets of irrigation channel in their respective fields without informing the irrigation authorities. They do so when their areas receive heavy rain.

“The farmers have been closing the outlets of irrigation channel at their whims without any fear of legal action. The political interference has also made the irrigation authorities ineffective to check this menace,” pointed out a senior functionary of the irrigation department while pleading anonymity.

Amarjit Singh Dullet, chief engineer, Irrigation, Punjab, said if the project connected with the setting up of recharge wells alongside all the outlets of the Raunta distributary produced desired results, it would be replicated on other channels in the state.

He said the blueprint of the project, which was likely to be ready shortly, would be submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) so that it could be funded by the Central government. However, if the Centre did not give funds for it, the Punjab Government would implement the project on its own.

The recharge well would be used to take the water diverted from the irrigation channels whenever there was no demand of water from farmers. The farmers would be urged to release water into the recharge well instead of closing the outlets, he pointed out. 

“The project, if succeeds, will improve the position of sub-soil water in Punjab apart from arresting the decline in water table,” he said, adding that the irrigation department authorities had also been working on the project connected with setting up of escape channels and cross regulators to save the irrigation system.

Bathinda, July 16
Under a scheme of the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), the construction of Bharat Nirman Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendras (BNRGSKs) has been going on at village and block levels in Bathinda district.

The village-level centres are being constructed at the cost of Rs 10 lakh each while the ones at block-level are being set up at the cost of Rs 25 lakh each.

It is learnt that the district will have 20 BNRGSKs by the end of this financial year. Of these, three village-level centres have been constructed so far at Karamgarh Satran (Bathinda block), Maluka (Bhagta Bhaika) and Bhai Rupa (Phul) while Chak Bakhtu (Nathana) and Jungirana (Sangat) kendras are nearly complete. Remaining 13 village-level and two block-level (Bhagta block and Sangat block) centres will be constructed by the end of this financial year.

The 13 villages where such centres are being constructed are Behman Diwana, Jalal, Ghuman Kalan, Kot Bhara, Lehra Sounda, Dhapali Khurd, Dhade, Dikh, Jeond, Mandi Kalan, Fullo Mithi, Jiwan Singh Wala and Maanwala.

The centres will facilitate people in getting information about activities related to MGNREGA and other rural development programmes.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) C Sibin said the construction was being done by engaging MNREGA workers. He said two centres at Karamgarh Satran and Jungirana would be inaugurated by MP Harsimrat Badal when she holds 'Sangat Darshan' there.

He said the work on the Bhagta block centre was in progress while the work was yet to begin in Sangat block. He said the centres would be constructed in a phased manner in all 315 villages and eight block headquarters of the district.

Bathinda, July 16
Minister for Transport, Technical Education and Industrial Training, Punjab, Surjit Kumar Jyani on Friday said 2,500 drivers and conductors would be recruited in the PRTC and the Punjab Roadways.

He said about 750 drivers and conductors would be recruited in the PRTC and the remaining in the Punjab Roadways on a contract basis. The drivers would be paid Rs 10,000 per month and the conductors Rs 9,000.

The minister said the drivers and conductors with three years of service and a clean record would be made regular employees.

Jyani said under the Punbus scheme, 300 new buses would be added to the fleet of the Punjab Roadways in two months.

The minister evaded a reply on whether the main bus stand here would be shifted to the Bibiwala road, despite the people's opposition.

Jyani said Fazilka would be carved out as a district during the SAD-BJP regime and the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister had already given their nod to it.

Fazilka, July 16
“The government and the people of the country should come forward to promote the use of non-automotive traditional eco-friendly means of transportation in Asian countries to prevent environment and fight against global warming.”

“A country like America has committed the blunder of damaging the environment by excessive motorisation. There are over 700 cars against 1000 population in the US creating environmental imbalance,” said Albert Ching, a scholar from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (USA) during his visit to the border town today to study the unique dial-a-rickshaw (Ecocab) transport system in Fazilka. The eco-cab was introduced in June 2008.

Albert ML Ching is conducting research on traditional means of transportation in Asia and was here at the initiative of the Graduate Welfare Association, Fazilka (GWAF).

“To attach the modern system with a traditional system like dial-a-rickshaw initiated by the GWAF in Fazilka has prompted me to visit the town to study the system on the spot,” said Ching, who is also a Research Assistant, Future of Urban Mobility, Government of Singapore.

The MIT scholar lauded the latest designing of the eco-cab displayed by the GWAF at the Research and Development Centre here set up by its patron Dr Bhupinder Singh, retired professor, IIT, Roorkee.

GWAF patron Dr Bhupinder Singh and general secretary Navdeep Asija said the GWAF effort to promote technical non-motorisation system is to check global warming.

Dr Singh disclosed that the weight of new eco-cab machine has been reduced from 100 kg to 75 kg. “We have improved by installing shock absorbers under the seat and selecting the size of traction wheels. We are now going for tubeless and airless tyres.”

Ching and members of the GWAF also distributed two pair of school dresses, Rs 600 per student to three daughters of rickshaw pullers of Fazilka, sponsored by Fazilka-based NRI Vikram Kamra.

Sriganganagar, July 16
The joint operation launched by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Sriganganagar district police in the border town of Hindumalkot following the arrest of Balkaran Singh under the NDPS Act by the Abohar police, led to the recovery of 1.9 kg heroin, Rs 2.73 lakh in fake Indian currency and firearms.

Notably, Hindumalkot is connected with Abohar by a 31 kilometre carpeted road that was primarily constructed in the interests of the Army. Most of the narcotics smugglers were nabbed during the past year on this road.

The BSF men led by Commandant RK Arora and Rajasthan cops led by SP Rupinder Singh cordoned off the border town while cracking down on Hindumalkot in the afternoon. Searches made in the houses of Balkaran's close relations, Major Singh and Gurmeet Singh, ended in the evening with a recovery of 1.9 kg of heroin, Rs 2.73 lakh in fake Indian currency smuggled from Pakistan in Rs 500 denomination and two Chinese pistol along with 12 live cartridges. Combing of the border belt would continue, officials indicated.

Preliminary probe revealed that Major Singh and Gurmeet Singh had assigned the job of delivering 3.5 kg heroin to someone in Punjab. Gurmeet had worked as Home Guard also on ad hoc basis. The suspects have been taken to Sriganganagar for interrogation.

Sriganganagar, July 16
Kulwant Singh Johal, an official presently posted at Maujgarh (Abohar) rural branch of the Canara Bank, was crushed by a Scorpio near Kodiyanwali bridge here, last evening.

Eye-witnesses said the bike driven by him slipped while averting a collision with a stray dog. He died on the spot.

Meanwhile, Narender Kumar Jat, a resident of village Pakka Bhadwan, was run over by a tractor-trolley while riding the vehicle in haste.

In yet another mishap, the police today found body of Krishan Kumar (13) of village Kharakhera from a dry water course, located on the Tibbi road.

He was reported missing yesterday afternoon. Station House Officer (SHO) Prahlad Kumar said the body has been shifted to the civil hospital for postmortem.

The child, who was found abandoned in a mutilated condition in the Prasar Bharti Complex at Suratgarh last evening, has been identified as Tarsem Meghwal.

His parents had informed the local administration that Tarsem was missing for the past three days. The postmortem would be conducted tomorrow.

Fazilka, July 16
The Sangharsh Committee, Punjab State Pharmacists' Association State conveyor Ravinder Luthra and district Ferozepur unit president Shashi Kant have in a press note stated that the pharmacists have decided to postpone their scheduled protest rally in favour of their demands at Ludhiana on July 17.

A delegation of the Sangharsh Committee has been invited by Health Minister Sat Pal Gosain to meet him on July 20 to consider their demands.

The agitation has been postponed for the time being and the Sangharsh Committee of the Punjab State Pharmacists Association would meet on July 24 to review the outcome of their meeting with the minister, said Luthra.

The further course of agitation would be decided after the meeting.

The main demands of the pharmacists include higher pay-scale, change of their designation to pharmacy officer, more allowances and creation of new posts at different levels of the state Health Department, Central Jail and offices of the Civil Surgeon.

Barnala, July 16
About 22 companies including Dada Motors, Vardhman Special Steel, Idea, Netmax solutions, NM Infotech and Connect visited Aryabhatta campus (Barnala) for the mega job fair on Saturday.

In a statement here, 937 students of B.Tech, MBA, MCA and Graduates from various institutes of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, J&K and NCR region participated in the job fest.

Out of the 937 participating students, 212 students were shortlisted.

The shortlisted students after the final interview would be given a package of 1.8 lakh to 3.2 lakh.

The campus director of the institute Dr Himani Goyal proposed the vote of thanks. 

Abohar, July 16
The photographs of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and former Health Minister Prof Luxmi Kanta Chawla have been removed from the 108 emergency ambulances. The team from the state headquarters, led by in-charge of the ambulance project Sarabjit Singh, today monitored the removal of the portraits from the vans, located in Abohar, Balluana and Seetogunno blocks here.

He informed that 90 ambulances had so far been positioned against the target of 240 and more were expected in the next phase.

The Health Department had launched the Dial 108 ambulance service, a Union Government initiative conceptualised by the Emergency Management and Research Institute (EM&RI), Hyderabad.

The photographs of the CM and then health minister Chawla had been termed as cheap political gimmick by the Congress and other opposition parties. Since Chawla was deprived of the portfolio during reshuffle in the state cabinet, her successor Sat Pal Gosain had sought the permission of the CM to replace her photographs. Badal had observed that he would not mind, if his portraits too were removed. The opposition leaders had reiterated that such photographs must be removed before the beginning of the next Punjab Vidhan Sabha election process.

Bathinda, July 16
To spread awareness on environmental issues, The Millenium School has come up with the SAVE (Students Association Volunteering for Earth) club under project Mission Earth.

The school had arranged for a real ‘Kabadi Wala’ who explained to the students the refuse life cycle. He demonstrated how the garbage was collected, segregated, compressed, decomposed and recycled and also emphasized on all the Rs of nature i.e. reuse, recycle and reduce.

Children also put up a play on team work.

A slogan competition on saving the environment was held.

Principal Beena Rao said such unique methods will go a long way in imbibing social responsibilities in children. — TNS

Bathinda, July 16
The Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, on Saturday, conducted online entrance test for admission to fill 65 seats in M.Phil./Ph.D.and M.Pham.-Ph.D. /L.L.M.-Ph.D. integrated programmes and 115 seats in post-graduate programmes in various subjects.

Test centres were set up in 10 major cities of the country. About 700 candidates applied. — TNS