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Flood fury: Residents asked to evacuate
BKU support for affected families
Crusader for blood donation dies of cancer
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Phoolka asks candidates to avoid distributing drugs for votes
State to set up NGO committees
Torch rally held in Hazare’s support
Bathinda village resident shot at in Nakodar
PUDA contractor sent to one-day police remand
Youth Cong worker shoots self to death
DGSE convenes meeting on holiday, SSA staff see
Stray cattle menace proves fatal for Parasram Nagar woman
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Flood fury: Residents asked to evacuate
Fazilka, August 20 Majority of other residents who camped in the village included Balbir Singh, Phuman Singh, Kashmir Singh, Puran Singh, Gurdeep Singh. They said that following the administration’s advice the villagers have decided to shift by tomorrow as they do not consider it auspicious to leave their homes on the day of Sheetla festival today preceding Janamashtami. As per the details, the villagers who have migrated are the family members of Gurdas Singh, Paramjit Singh, Gurdeep Singh, Satnam Singh and Sunam Singh. They have gone to their relatives in the nearby villages. “We have all the facilities available but no one has approached us so far. If need be, we would provide everything immediately,” said Fazilka ADC Charandev Singh Mann, who visited the area after passing through the flood water in a boat to convince the villagers to shift to safer places. Mann informed The Tribune that so far the standing crop of paddy, fodder and cotton in over 2500 acres of land was inundated in more than half dozen villages. The villagers have to cross 32-feet deep Sutlej flood water to come to the main land. During an on the spot assessment of the flood situation in the only boat ferrying the villagers, it was noticed that there is some leakage in the boat which is without safety belts. Hence, the passengers are left to the mercy of god. The water has to be drained out after each turn. The only entry point to the village, the barbed wire fencing gate, has also inundated as the village is surrounded by barbed wire fencing from three sides and there is Pakistan boundary on the other. A woman Gurmeeto, wife of Raj Kumar, who brought her one-month-old child for medical aid while getting down from the boat, demanded that the government should provide treatment at their doorstep in the village. The building of Government Primary school of the village has also submerged under four feet water so it had to be closed for indefinite period. |
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BKU support for affected families
Bathinda, August 20 Various farmer unions, including the Ugraha group, are already protesting against the land acquisition at Gobindpura village in Mansa district. Senior vice-president of the Ugraha group Jhanda Singh Jethuke addressed the affected family members and raised slogans against the Punjab Government, the Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and the Punjab Urban Development Authority (PUDA). Jethuke alleged that the government took possession of the land using police force and other gimmicks to usurp the land of poor farmers. “We will die here if our agricultural land is snatched from us,” he said. He added that the government had acquired the land of even those who had not agreed to accept cheques. “The family members of the farmers are quite upset after the police torture and need succour. We are here to help them and are ready to sacrifice our lives to bail them out of the crisis,” he said. Thermal Police Station SHO Darshan Singh and few other policemen too reached the spot after they learnt about the agitation by farmer leaders. Meanwhile, district president of BKU (Ugraha) Ram Singh Bhainibagha, who is camping at Gobindpura village, said the police had cordoned off the entire village. “Even the private buses have been impounded by the police and people, especially the children and elderly, have to walk miles to get a bus,” he said. BKU leaders held a meeting with the affected families and it was decided that the family members will participate in the agitation to be held at Mansa on August 22. Workers and leaders of 17 farmer unions will reach Mansa wherein farmers will oppose the forceful acquisition of land for the BDA Enclave, Bathinda, and a thermal plant at
Gobindpura.
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Crusader for blood donation dies of cancer
Bathinda, August 20 After battling throat cancer for over eight years, Bansal breathed his last at 5:30 pm today at his home in Rampura Phul. Winner of the national award from the Indian Society on Blood Transfusion and Immunohemotology, Bansal successfully motivated thousands of people in last 32 years for donating their blood and saving precious lives. He leaves behind his wife Laxmi Devi, three daughters, two sons and thousands of his admirers and volunteers of NGO Blood Donor Council. Bansal had undergone two surgeries in last eight years and was underpalliative care of local doctors. He stopped talking to his family on Friday morning. “But till the end moments of his life, he kept on working for cause of blood donation. Our latest blood donation camp was held on August 15, which my father had organised. He had just one dream - that no one should die for want of blood,” said his son Sunil. Thirty years ago, Bansal’s daughter had an accident. Had her father not arranged blood for her, she could have died. This prompted Bansal to start a campaign for blood donation. He held first camp on October 1, 1978. Since then movement gained momentum and Bansal infused enthusiasm in youngsters to donate blood as often as possible. Not restricting his activities to blood donation only, Bansal started taking care of AIDS affected patients, abandoned girl children and performed last rites of unclaimed bodies. Enthused people have started donating blood at various occasions may it be marriage, birthdays or death anniversaries. Every year a fair, ‘Mela Khoon Daniyan Da’ (fair of blood donor) is held to honor donors and motivate more people for blood donation. |
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Phoolka asks candidates to avoid distributing drugs for votes
Bathinda, August 20 Phoolka, who has fought for the rights of 1984 anti-Sikh riot victims, is on a visit to Punjab under his Nasha Mukt Punjab campaign. “Drugs are being openly sold to garner votes. Youths form a large proportion of Indian population today and they are the ones who form governments and bodies like the SGPC,” Phoolka said. He added that surveys substantiate the fact that during elections, circulation of drugs in markets increases resulting in more youngsters taking to deadly concoctions. Phoolka formed monitoring committees at Patiala, Mansa and Bathinda today. These committees would meet various candidates and request them against distributing drugs in any form. The candidates would also be made to take an oath that they would stay away from the practice. Thereafter, the committees would keep an eye on these candidates. All means, including sting operations and subsequent raids, could be carried out to check the credibility of doubtful candidates, Phoolka said, adding that a candidate found disobeying the oath would be blacklisted. “We will approach the election commissioner in this regard. If our appeal is not heard, we will move the court,” Phoolka said. During last SGPC elections too, Phoolka had carried out a similar activity, which proved to be successful. Phoolka said the campaign could be extended to Assembly elections too.
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State to set up NGO committees
Moga, August 20 According to BK Srivastava, Director General of MGSIPA and Neena Singh, advisor of Centre for participatory management and voluntary organisation, a faculty of the institute, the aim of the project is to confederate the voluntary sector at the grass root level and promote participatory management in the governance system. The other objectives of this project are to accredit and recognise the NGOs in Punjab to provide forum for confederation of voluntary sector leadership, to develop professional growth of voluntary organizations and to survey, evaluate and document the activities of NGOs in the state. Further, it aims at facilitating mobilisation of human and financial resources for NGOs, to facilitate and conduct capacity development programs for the voluntary sector personnel, to promote creation of NGOs in non-traditional areas, to design modules for participatory management in various spheres of governance and collate and disseminate the achievements and success stories of the voluntary sector. Gyan Singh, Regional Project Manager, who organised a meeting of the NGOs and officials of the local administration here today, said these units would identify and involve the local NGOs and volunteers various public welfare schemes with the financial assistance of the government. He said under this project the SDMs have been asked to hold preliminary meetings with the NGO activists and intellectuals in the respective areas and suggest their names and addresses for setting up the units. Adding that these sub-division units would create awareness among the masses at the grass roots level on various public welfare schemes launched from time to time by the union and state governments in a better and coordinated way; Gyan Singh further claimed that it would help end corruption and better utilisation of funds.
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Torch rally held in Hazare’s support
Abohar, August 20 Youth were mobilised from the rural areas as well. They used motorcycles and passed through different residential areas before reaching the community hall. The torch-bearing youth passed through the main roads before dispersing on reaching the Nehru Park. |
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Bathinda village resident shot at in Nakodar
Nakodar August 20 They were real brothers and residents of village Bajakhana in Bathinda. A gunshot was fired at their running car on the Malsian-Nakodar road, which hit its mirror. The victims further told the police that later, they sped up their SUV but lost control over it near the National College, Nakodar, due to which the vehicle turned turtle. The police said while the victims were trying to come out of the car the attackers reached the spot and started firing at them. Gunshots hit Kuljinder in his stomach. He was rushed to the local Civil Hospital. However, he was referred to the Civil Hospital at Jalandhar. His condition is stated to be critical. Nakodar DSP Rajinder Singh said both the parties had an old enmity, which could be the cause of the incident. He added that the victim had identified one accused as Satpal alias Sattu, resident of the same village. Two other accused were yet to be identified. A case under the IPC and the Arms Act has been registered against Satpal and other two unidentified attackers. The police said raids were on to nab the accused.
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PUDA contractor sent to one-day police remand
Bathinda, August 20 The accused, Amarjeet Singh Happy, a resident of Green Avenue, Bathinda, was booked under Section 307 of the IPC and Sections 25, 27, 54 and 69 of the Arms Act at the Thermal Plant police station. Besides the contractor, Gurtej Singh of Amarpura Basti and Jaskaran Singh of Mehma Sarja village were also booked by the police. Thermal Plant police station SHO Darshan Singh said one of the three accused Jaskaran Jassa was arrested from the spot and was sent to 14 days of judicial remand. The other two accused were arrested last night and they were sent to one-day police remand. Both of them would be produced in a court again tomorrow, he said. |
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Youth Cong worker shoots self to death
Fazilka, August 20 As per Kewal Krishan Sharma, his son Rejeshwar, owner of KK digital photography shop in the local waan bazaar and also president of Digital Photographer Association (Fazilka) had been unwell for the last few days and was feeling depressed. He shot himself with his licensed revolver in his head. His wife and other family members were also present at home at the time of the incident. As soon as they heard the gunshot, they raised alarm. The family members with the help of the neighbourer rushed Kukki to the local civil hospital in serious conditions. The doctors referred him to the Medical College Faridkot. He succumbed to his injuries today in the medical college. Shrama is survived by a son and daughter. His post mortem was conducted at the local civil hospital today. |
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DGSE convenes meeting on holiday, SSA staff see
Bathinda, August 20 In the last three months, tomorrow’s meeting is the third to be scheduled on Sunday. The previous meetings were held on May 29 at Mohali and on August 7 at Ludhiana. Education Department employees said that earlier, the meetings were held on working days. The move has drawn criticism from the offices of the SSA and the district education officials belonging to both the elementary and secondary sections. “Saturday and Sunday are holidays. Meetings are convened on those days only during an emergency. When these meetings can be called on working days, why harass the staff on holidays?” said an Education Department official from Mansa. The DGSE office informed about the meeting on Friday evening through e-mails and fax. Officials concerned have been directed to bring the necessary documents and forms with them. The information has to be collected from different schools. Consequently, the entire staff members were working today trying to collect the information for the meeting in only few hours, a task which would have normally taken them a week. “In haste, the quality is compromised and there is a margin for error. Even our productivity suffers,” added another official from Bathinda. Officials attending these meetings are neither provided with cars or drivers. Most of the officials pool in or go by buses. Officials from Bathinda, Mansa and Amritsar start at 4:30 am to reach Mohali by 9 am. “We end up working 14 to 16 hours on holidays. As human beings, we too need a holiday to rejuvenate ourselves and work effectively,” said an official. When contacted, DGSE Baldeo Purushartha said, “It should be a matter of pride that government offices work on Sundays too. Officials should not have any problems in attending the meeting.”
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Stray cattle menace proves fatal for Parasram Nagar woman
Bathinda, August 20 The incident created panic and anger amongst the residents of the area who have termed the authorities concerned a deadpan. Murti Devi, another resident of the locality, said three women of her locality had got injured after being hit by a giant stray animal just a few months ago. “Despite being aware of the menace and numerous appeals made to the authorities concerned to look into the matter, nothing has been done to check the problem. Last night, we counted 20 heads of stray cattle in an area of 500 metres near the bus stand,” said Joginder Singh, a resident. Lakhwinder Singh, a resident of Rampura Phul, rammed his car in two buffaloes near the Rose Garden area last week and had to spend Rs 10,000 on repairs of the car. “Besides a damaged vehicle, my eight-year-old daughter too received a head injury in the collision,” he said. Assistant commissioner of the local Municipal Corporation Kamal Kant claimed that efforts were on to solve the problem. He added that animals were dislocated from the city four months ago. However, general secretary of Shri Gaushala, Bathinda, Sadhu Ram Kusla said a recent survey revealed that there were 2,000 heads of stray cattle in the city alone. “All the three gaushalas are overcrowded and funds are elusive,” he said. A gaushala is likely to be opened on the Dabwali road with a capacity of 750 animals, which may bring some respite to the overcrowded gaushalas. |
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The administration has directed the residents of village Mohar Jamsher to shift to safer places due to worsening flood situation.
