Bathinda, July 26
Disposal of highly infectious and hazardous bio-medical waste has become a major challenge in the Malwa region due to lack of any waste management plant or incinerator.

A large quantity of bio-medical waste generated in the region is either carried to Ludhiana for scientific destruction or is dumped in open places by the respective municipalities. Residents of Bathinda, which has over the years become a hub of medical facility, are resisting the setting up of a solid waste management plant. Another plant that had come up near Lehra Mohabbat on the Bathinda-Barnala highway has been shut due to protests by residents of the surrounding villages.

Disposal of bio-medical waste generated by hundreds of private hospitals and clinics has become a headache for the authorities. Over 200 private hospitals and clinics in and around Bathinda had been sending the bio-medical waste to the Lehra Mohabbat plant, but its abrupt closure under the pressure of the local residents has created a problem. Some of the hospitals have engaged a Ludhiana-based unit to transport the waste for its disposal there.

The civil hospitals and government dispensaries in the Bathinda, Faridkot, Ferozepur, Moga, Barnala, Mansa and Muktsar districts are generating over 1,500 kg of highly infectious and human anatomical waste every month. There is no official record of the quantity of bio-medical waste generated by private hospitals and clinics that have mushroomed in the region.

More than 76 kg of infectious and seven kg of human anatomical waste are generated every month in the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. In addition, the children and women hospital on the same complex generates about 70 kg of infectious and 80 kg of human anatomical waste.

Health centres in the sub-divisions of Rampura Phul, Talwandi Sabo and Goniana near here generate over 100 kg infectious and human anatomical wastes.

The Punjab Pollution Control Board that recently woke up to tackle the problem ordered the closure of a private hospital here on the charges of not complying with the bio-medical waste disposal norms.

The local Municipal Corporation (BMC) had sometime ago proposed to install an incinerator here for the disposal of bio-medical and other waste. However, the proposal was later swept under the carpet, says senior deputy mayor Tarsem Goyal.

The BMC has now come out with a proposal to set up a solid waste management plant over 20 acres on the outskirts of the town on the Bathinda-Mansa road. However, residents of the colonies around have pledged against allowing the setting up of the plant there.

Bathinda, July 26
Member of Parliament Harsimrat Kaur Badal today termed the hue and cry, being raised by the Congress leaders over the setting up of proposed solid waste management plant in Bathinda, as their “anti-development” activity.

It is worth mentioning here that the local Congress leaders and Congress MLA from Bathinda Harminder Singh Jassi have been opposing the setting of proposed solid waste management plant for the past some days by saying that the plant is hazardous for the local residents and would adversely affect their health.

On the other hand, Harsimrat today gave full credit to the Punjab Government, saying that the setting up of the proposed plant in Bathinda was a big achievement of the state government as it would provide big relief to the residents of the city from garbage.

Harsimrat today participated in the ‘Sangat Darshan” programmes organised in various villages of the Talwandi Sabo Assembly constituency.

She said the solid waste management plant would prove beneficial for the Bathinda residents as the plant would not only treat the garbage with scientific method but would also generate power and produce fertiliser.

She added that the plant would also prove helpful in keeping the atmosphere clean and would protect the residents from various diseases caused by the unhygienic atmosphere. She urged the people not to be taken in by the propaganda unleashed by the Congress.

Moga, July 26
The Punjab police has reinstated the former in-charge of Moga CIA staff, Inspector Satnam Singh, who was suspended after allegations of extorting money from the chemists and illegally detaining and torturing a youth.

He has been given a posting in the state Vigilance Bureau at its headquarters in Chandigarh. The case of alleged extortion and illegally detaining a youth is still pending against him. The case was registered after a judicial inquiry on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, Chandigarh.

The FIR was registered against him under various Sections of the IPC and Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 at the police station (City-I) in December, last year. Besides, as many as three FIRs were registered against him during his service period, one of which was still pending in a local court. Many other departmental inquiries were also pending against him.

The Tribune, in its news item, ‘A cop or an extortionist’, on February 5 last year, had exposed the design of police to extort money from the chemists by threatening them to slap cases against them under the NDPS Act.

A warrant officer of the HC had rescued one Apaar Singh, alias Bittu, from the clutches of the local police on September 23, 2009. He was allegedly tortured by Satnam Singh, who was then in-charge of the CIA staff, Moga.

Apaar was detained by the CIA staff when he went there on September 21, 2009 to enquire about his brothers, running a drug store, who were picked up by the police for allegedly possessing psychotropic drugs without valid papers. The kin of the three brothers filed a habeas corpus writ petition in the HC, alleging that the police had demanded Rs 50,000 from them to release the three persons. The HC ordered a judicial probe into it.

The then CJM Karunesh Kumar Kakkar, who conducted the judicial probe, in his report submitted to the HC wrote, “I am of the opinion that prima facie, Apaar Singh was found to be in illegal custody of Inspector Satnam Singh, in-charge, CIA staff, Moga.”

It was learnt that Satnam has political relations with senior leaders of the ruling SAD, who are said to have allegedly influenced upon the DGP to reinstate him. The DGP also belongs to Moga and reportedly has plans to contest the coming assembly elections.

Earlier, the senior police authorities had also reinstated two Moga cops, who were dismissed even as criminal cases were still pending against them.

A sub-inspector Raman Kumar, who was dismissed after being named as one of the accused by the CBI in the Moga sex scandal, facing charges of allegedly extorting money, was reinstated a few months back. Similarly, Rajesh Hastir, former SHO of the Kot-ise-Khan police station, was also reinstated after being dismissed for allegedly helping two drugs smugglers to flee on September 5, 2009 by taking bribe.

Sriganganagar, July 26
The war heroes were remembered by lighting candles and offering flower petals on their portraits at the Kargil Diwas function here today. Intriguingly, none of the senior political leaders except for Sita Ram Maurya, former chairman, Zila Parishad, attended the function.

Dr Shantanu and Dr Amrita Sharma provided services at the free medical check-up and bone test camp organised by Shri Guru Nanak Krishna Mandir Samiti at H Block Park. Colonel Mukul Saxena, Commanding Officer, 11 Sikh Regiment, was the chief guest at the main function. Veteran social activist BD Aggarwal, ASP Sandeep Singh Chauhan, former BSF commandant Manjit Singh Chimni and PNB senior manager DG Kulkarni paid tributes to the Kargil war heroes.

Bathinda, July 26
Engineers belonging to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) and the Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL), and working in the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat, the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant (GNDTP) at Bathinda and in the West Zone comprising Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Moga districts, today observed pen-down and tool-down strike for two hours (from 11 am to 1 pm).

The engineers were protesting against dilly-dallying by the Punjab Government to give approval to the PSPCL's proposal to set up a 1320-MW thermal plant (near Mukerian) under the state sector. Among other demands were augmentation of the capacities of existing thermal plants by adopting super critical technology, scrapping of the Punjab Generation Policy notified on June 21, 2010, which had virtually violated the principle of competitive bidding contained in the Electricity Act 2003, and scrapping of the MoUs signed with private companies to develop power projects in Punjab.

The engineers gathered at the Officers' Club in the Thermal Colony here today and were addressed by Fateh Pal Singh Malhi, regional secretary, GNDTP, Bathinda; KS Mann, senior vice-president of the association; and Darshan Singh, an executive member of the association. They even kept their mobile phones switched off during the strike.

Bathinda, July 26
Even as more than six months have passed, the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU) is awaiting a grant of Rs 100 crore for clerks, steno typists and junior assistants. Due to the reported dilly-dallying by the state government, great resentment has been prevailing among the ministerial staff.

CM Parkash Singh Badal had agreed to grant a Rs 100-crore package during a meeting with the PSMSU on January 12 last in lieu of the demand of the union — Rs 10,300 - Rs 34,800 pay-scale for clerks and steno typists etc in view of an increase in the educational qualification (graduation) for these posts.

Talking to TNS today, Darshan Singh Bajaj and Raj Kumar Arora, patron and secretary general of the PSMSU, respectively, said the union had been agitating and holding meetings with the government for past some months in this regard, but to no avail. They said initially, the bureaucracy had told the CM that the state exchequer would be burdened with Rs 480 crore annually in case the demand for higher pay-scale was accepted. However, the union told the CM that the amount would not be over Rs 240 crore. On this, the CM preferred to choose a mid-way and agreed to give Rs 100 crore in the budget of 2011-12. But there was no mention of the Rs 100-crore package in the budget proposals.

Raj Kumar Arora said that on July 20, the PSMSU held a meeting with the Principal Secretary to the CM, Darbara Singh Guru, and other secretaries of the government but no decision was taken regarding the grant. Rather, Guru had fixed their meeting with the CM for July 29 at Chandigarh.

Bajaj said in case the meeting with the CM on July 29 proved futile, they would re-launch their agitation and the government would be responsible for any inconvenience caused to public during their protest. He said during the meetings held recently, the bureaucracy had told the union that the government had already given Rs 30 crore to the ministerial staff (from clerk to superintendent) in the form of conveyance and special allowances.

But the union’s stand was that the agreed package of Rs 100 crore was only against the demand for higher pay-scale for clerks, steno typists and junior assistants, he added.

Fazilka, July 26
Amidst speculations of Fazilka being accorded the district headquarters status soon, the plots in the local grain market were sold at unexpectedly higher rates. The commercial plots for shops were auctioned today in the evening by the New Mandi Township officials along with Fazilka SDM Charandev Singh Mann and Market Committee chairman Ashok Jairath, who supervised the auction process. The Mandi Township authorities earned Rs 10 crores against the sale of 34 plots and booths.

As per the official sources, a large number of bidders started gathering at the auction site around 11 am. However, the auction could start only after 2 pm as the Fazilka SDM could not reach the site on time as he had to go to Ferozepur to attend a meeting.

Interestingly, 146 bidders deposited the drafts of earnest money with the authorities for the auction of 13 plots measuring 16x50 feet, one plot of 20x80 feet and about 20 booths of different sizes.

To the surprise of the authorities, the bidders offered Rs 72 lakh of a shop measuring 20’x80’ (total space 1600 square feet) against the reserve price of Rs 38 lakh. A comparatively small size shop measuring 16’x50’ (total space 800 square feet) was sold at a maximum rate of Rs 49 lakh against the reserve price of 22 lakh.

Similarly, a booth measuring 17’x30’ (total 510 square feet) was sold at a premium price of maximum of Rs 20 lakh against the reserve price of Rs 8 lakh. The competitive price has been offered by the purchasers even when they will have to pay the amount through white money.

“The Market Committee authorities are delighted to earn premium prices of the plots in today’s auction. The auction was took place in a transparent and fair way,” said Ashok Jairath, chairman, Market Committee.

Ferozepur, July 26
Fearing the creation of yet another district out of Ferozepur, the District Bar Association (DBA) along with scores of NGOs and representatives from various social, religious and commercial organisations today organised a massive protest against the proposed move of the state government to accord district status to Fazilka.

Sources said as per the proposal drafted for the division, the areas of Balluana, Fazilka, Abohar and Jalalabad would go to the new district of Fazilka while Guruharsahai, Ferozepur and Zira would be left with Ferozepur. Guruharsahai is also tipped to be given the status of a sub-division in case the proposal to carve out new district materialises.

President, District Bar Association, Kanwardeep Syal said the people of Ferozepur were aggrieved over the proposed move. While cautioning the government against any such plan, Syal said the lawyers with support of NGOs and intellectual strata of the town would oppose any such move tooth and nail.

Hundreds of lawyers along with representatives from other organisations today gathered at the districts courts complex and later blocked the national highway near Baba Shershahwali Chowk.

Among those who addressed the protest gathering included Hariram Khindri, president, Brahman Samaj, Subhash Tuli, chairman, Beopar Mandal, Nand Kishore Gugan, president, Aartiya Association, Budh Ram, Khalwinder Sodhi, Ashwani Dhingra, general secretary, BJP legal cell besides members of the DBA.

Dhingra urged the state government to shelve any proposal to carve out a new district out of Ferozepur otherwise the residents of Ferozepur would protest against the government.

Abohar, July 26
Undeterred by the ‘hints’ dropped by senior political functionaries about upgrading of Fazilka as district, Vijay Laxmi Bhadoo, chairperson, Punjab State Social Welfare Board (PSSWB), said a forceful plea would be made to the CM Parkash Singh Badal to upgrade Abohar as district.

There would be two-firsts as the CM visits Khuyiansarwar in the sub-division on July 31. He would attend the first ever state function here after taking over as CM in 2007. He also becomes the first CM to attend some function organised by the Board since its formation.

Bhadoo, during the press briefing at her residence here today. said, “Fazilka is no match to Abohar. There is no wisdom in upgrading a border town as district since Ferozepur remained the most backward district only because no one was ready to make heavy investment there even when it had divisional headquarters.”

Bhadoo, former state president of BJP Mahila Morcha, said the CM would be requested to sanction schemes for development of Abohar sub-division. District BJP president Arun Narang has been asked to list the demands.