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B A T H I N D A E D I T I O N

Edu Dept facilitates ‘charity’ for NGO, DGSE orders probe
Bathinda, August 23
A curious case of government senior secondary schools being asked to donate money to an NGO, purportedly working to create awareness on AIDS/HIV, has come to light in Bathinda.

Farmers suffer huge losses, blame admn for giving no prior warning
Ferozepur, August 23
While alleging that no warning or prior information was given to them before releasing excess water downstream of the Hussainiwala headwork, the residents of flood-hit villages rued that they have suffered heavy losses. “Boats, diesel engines and other equipment besides standing crops in around 2000 acres got damaged due to sudden inflow of water,” the residents added. The flood-affected villages include Gatti Telumal, Gandu Khilcha Hithar, Rahela Haji, all situated inside the Dona Telu Mal Enclave (DT Mal) along the Indo-Pakistan border.

Finally, new OPD block thrown open to public
Patients queue up to get prescription slips at the new OPD block in the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, on Tuesday Bathinda, August 23
The new OPD (out patient department) block, which was built about seven months back at a cost of Rs 3 crore, was opened on the premises of the local Civil Hospital today.

Patients queue up to get prescription slips at the new OPD block in the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

EARLIER STORIES

	Rising pollution threatens to choke Sirhind canal August 23, 2011
	DC stops registration of unauthorised colonies August 22, 2011
	Flood fury: Residents asked to evacuate August 21, 2011
	Mansa men found suffering from breast cancer August 20, 2011
	No new thermal plant before 2012 August 19, 2011
	Another Manpreet aide returns to SAD fold August 18, 2011
	Patriotic fervour marks I-Day celebrations August 17, 2011
	Tailor-made for patriotism August 15, 2011
	Gross neglect: Elderly not paid pension for 4 months August 14, 2011
	GZSCET likely to turn into PTU regional centre August 13, 2011

	Edu Dept facilitates ‘charity’ for NGO, DGSE orders probe NGO purportedly working to create awareness on AIDS/HIV Megha Mann Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 23 A curious case of government senior secondary schools being asked to donate money to an NGO, purportedly working to create awareness on AIDS/HIV, has come to light in Bathinda. The schools have been made to pay Rs 2,500 per cluster for the Delhi-based private NGO. Bathinda district has 46 clusters and each cluster has six to 13 schools in it. This way, the department has managed to collect an estimated Rs 1,15,000 for the NGO in the last 15 days when the drive was first started. The schools were directed to collect the amount as charity. While in some schools, the teachers paid the amount, in others, it was the students who were made to pay. The issue was duly listed on the agenda at the monthly meeting held at the Teachers’ Home today. The agenda even mentioned the schools that did not pay the amount. This includes the Government Senior Secondary School (Boys), Balianwali, government schools at Bhai Rupa, Bhagi Vandar, Bhagta, Maisarkhana, Maluka (Boys), Rampura Mandi (Girls), Sheikhpura, Bathinda (Girl), Kalyan Sukha, Goniana (Girls and Boys), Kotshamir, Kuti and Maur Mandi (Girls). Today, the education department officials also distributed receipts of the donation received. During the meeting, the representatives of these schools were humiliated for not paying the aforesaid amount. “It’s a unique case. This is the first time when a government department has collected funds for a private NGO. Earlier too, we have received requests to collect funds but these are routed through the Red Cross Society which is under the Deputy Commissioner and that too, for government-run groups only,” said an education department official. When contacted, District Education Officer (Secondary) Harbans Singh Sandhu said he had received orders from his superiors. However, the Director General School Education (DGSE), Baldeo Purushartha said he had not passed any such orders. He ordered an inquiry into the whole affair. “The Education Department officials have committed a mistake and the entire incident would be inquired into. I have directed that the money be returned to those from whom it was taken and no one should be asked to pay,” Purushartha said. Meanwhile, when a phone call was made at the number mentioned on the receipt of the NGO concerned, the call attendant claimed that the NGO holds seminars to educate people from all walks of life. However, the attendant could not tell the date and the place where an awareness camp was last held by it in Punjab.
	Farmers suffer huge losses, blame admn for giving no prior warning Anirudh Gupta Ferozepur, August 23 While alleging that no warning or prior information was given to them before releasing excess water downstream of the Hussainiwala headwork, the residents of flood-hit villages rued that they have suffered heavy losses. “Boats, diesel engines and other equipment besides standing crops in around 2000 acres got damaged due to sudden inflow of water,” the residents added. The flood-affected villages include Gatti Telumal, Gandu Khilcha Hithar, Rahela Haji, all situated inside the Dona Telu Mal Enclave (DT Mal) along the Indo-Pakistan border. Karan Singh Dhaliwal, secretary, Border Area Sangharsh Committee, who owns agricultural land in the area, said, “The DT Mal Enclave was situated at a distance of five kilometres downstream of the Hussainiwala headwork. As it is nearer to the headworks, whenever the water is released downstream, unlike other places, the farmers do not get a chance to remove even their essential equipment from the fields.” The farmers here regretted that they had arranged three boats including a big one to ferry the combine machine and tractor across the river, all of which have been swept away by the ravaging Sutlej water. “The big-sized boat was worth Rs 3 lakh while two others cost Rs 1 lakh each,” said Jagdev Singh. He added that all the money was contributed by the local farmers. Jagdev further stated that some farmers had taken a loan for the purpose. However, since the entire crop has been destroyed, they have incurred heavy losses. Karnail Singh, who hails from Rahela Hazi, owned ten acres across the river in DT Mal Enclave. But due to frequent damage to the crops by swollen Sutlej in 2008 and also last year, he had already sold off around six acres and is now left with only four acres to support his family. Swaran Singh, another farmer regretted that around 150 diesel sets installed in the fields have been submerged. He demanded that the administration should provide them with new boats to enable them to sow at least the next crop. “The government should immediately order special girdawaris and also compensate the affected farmers in view of their agricultural input costs,” Dhaliwal demanded.
	Finally, new OPD block thrown open to public Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 23 The new OPD (out patient department) block, which was built about seven months back at a cost of Rs 3 crore, was opened on the premises of the local Civil Hospital today. However, no inauguration ceremony was held in the wake of imposition of model code of conduct for the SGPC elections. The opening of the block was reportedly done on the directions of the authorities of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation (PHSC). It is learnt that the formal inauguration of the block may be performed on September 26 by the Chief Minister when he formally inaugurates the Max Super-specialty Hospital situated on the premises of the Civil Hospital here. Though the PHSC had handed over the block to the hospital authorities in the last week of January, the inauguration ceremony could not take place reportedly due to non-availability of a VIP, like the Chief Minister or the Deputy Chief Minister. The shifting of the equipment and furniture etc from the old OPD block began on Saturday. However, the doctors started examining the patients in the new block today. There are three floors in the block having various OPDs, including medicine, ENT, orthopedics, surgery, eye, skin, dental and psychiatry besides rooms for laboratories, X-ray, ultrasound, injections and dressing, ECG/TMT and mammography. In addition, there are rooms for the offices of the deputy medical commissioner (DMC), the senior medical officer (SMO) and the chief pharmacist. At the main entrance of the block, men and women were seen queued up at the registration counters while waiting for their turn to get a prescription slip. Some patients were also seen receiving medicines from a dispensary. There are no air-conditioners (ACs) in doctors’ rooms, which caused inconvenience to patients and doctors as weather remained sultry today. When contacted, Civil Surgeon Dr Neelam Bajaj said the senior medical officer had already invited tenders for installation of air-conditioners, which would be opened and allotted soon.
	Woman booked for abusing BMC councillor Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 23 The Bathinda police today booked a woman and four men for abusing and entering into heated arguments with a councillor during the House meeting of the local Municipal Corporation (BMC). The accused has been identified as Lakhwinder Kaur. The complaint against her was lodged by councillor Rajinder Kaur Brar, a resident of Guru Ki Nagri. Many senior officials of the BMC were present when the incident took place. Brar alleged that the accused woman was deployed in a government school where students were given mid-day meal. Following numerous complaints, a surprise checking was conducted and the food meant for the mid-day-meal was found less than the prescribed quantity. Irate over the checking, the woman reached the office of the BMC and created a ruckus. An inquiry into the incident was marked to the SP (City). After a detailed probe, a case under Sections 353 and 186 of the IPC has been registered against the woman and four others at the Kotwali police station.
	18 cases of dengue detected in district Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Bathinda, August 23 The district has witnessed 18 cases of dengue fever so far this season. Of these 18, 12 were from the Bathinda city while five cases were from Raman Mandi and one from Sangat block. Surprisingly, dengue fever is regarded as a post-monsoon disease but the cases have surfaced earlier, in the summer season itself. Most of the cases have been reported during the last one month. As per information, the 12 positive cases of dengue from Bathinda city have been reported from various localities like Ajit road, Adarsh Nagar, Thermal Colony, Power House Road, Guru Nanak Pura, Guru Ki Nagri, Lal Singh Basti, opposite TV Tower and the Civil Hospital’s residential quarters. However, information about seven cases was provided to the district health authorities by the DMC Hospital, Ludhiana, two cases by the Apollo Hospital, Ludhiana, and nine cases by the Civil Hospital, Bathinda. The Mac Elisa test (a confirmatory test for dengue) is conducted on the blood samples for confirmation of the disease.
	Cotton arrival begins in Mansa n Procurement season starts on October 1 n Pvt traders buying cotton at rates less than last year Megha Mann Tribune News Service Mansa, August 23 Cotton has started arriving in the grain markets of Mansa, almost one-and-a-half month before the actual procurement season begins on October 1. Today, five quintals of cotton arrived in the market. It was sold between Rs 3,511 and Rs 3,811 per quintal. On August 22, two quintals of cotton had arrived and was procured at Rs 3511 per quintal, said District Mandi Officer, Mansa, Mohan Singh Pannu. Currently, private traders from Mansa and nearby areas are procuring cotton at rates that are less than the last year when cotton was sold for as high as Rs 7,000 per quintal. The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) will procure cotton at Rs 3,100 per quintal, which is Rs 300 more than the last year. Even in commodity trading, the current rates of cotton are very less. Ashwini Kumar Bunty, a sub-broker in commodity trading, said the price of cotton in trading market was less than the corresponding day last year. Mansa grain markets are always the first ones to have cotton even before the procurement season picks up owing to the district's climate and dry terrain. Cotton trader Ashok Kumar said this year, the pre-season arrival was 15 days late than the last year. "Last year, arrival started in the first week of August. This year, prolonged humidity, rains and less sunny days delayed the cotton arrival," he said. Experts said private players may start paying higher rates when more cotton arrives in market. “There are so many varieties of cotton seeds available in the market. One farmer does not know which variety his neighbour has sown. The farmers, who had sown seeds earlier, have now got mature lint. They cannot afford to store it and hence have put it up for sale,” said farmer Jagtar Singh Brar from Mehma Sarja village.

New thermal power plants to start generation from next year
SP Sharma
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 23
The three new supercritical thermal power plants with the total installed capacity of 3920 MWs coming up in various places in Punjab would begin generating electricity next year with the first unit of the Talwandi Sabo project of the Vedanta likely to be commissioned in November 2012.

GS Chhabra, Director (Generation) of the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) today said the second and third units of the 1980-MW Talwandi Sabo project were slated to be commissioned in February and May 2013, respectively.

A meeting of the coordination committee has been convened on August 25 to discuss the progress in construction of the project.

Chhabra said that the first unit of the 540-MW Goindwal Sahib thermal power project being constructed by the GVK Group would be commissioned in January 2013 and the second in April 2013.

The 1400-MW Rajpura Thermal Plant being built by the L&T Group would be commissioned in 2014 with its first unit going to stream in January and the second in May.

He said there was no further progress in the Kot-Shamir thermal power project after signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Meanwhile, the Poena Power Development Ltd (PPDL) of the Indiabulls that has been assigned construction of the controversial thermal power plant of 1320 MWs capacity at Gobindpura broke its silence today when its spokesman claimed that the land for the project was acquired with the consent of the farmers who were paid compensation many times more than the prevailing rate of Rs 5 lakhs per acre.

The spokesman of the company claimed that owners of 97 acres of land have refused to accept the compensation. “Ninety per cent farmers have voluntarily accepted the compensation and majority of them have purchased alternative land in the nearby areas,” the spokesman said.

A total of 880 acres of land has been acquired for setting up the thermal power plant triggering an agitation that has now spread in all three regions of Punjab

“The company believes in producing an overall positive impact on the local society and the state of Punjab at large through the upcoming power plant,” the spokesman said.

The company had last year signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government based on the ‘Power Generation Policy 2010’of Punjab.

The policy was formulated to invite private investments in the state power sector.

The spokesman pointed out that the Indiabulls Power Ltd has experience in power sector and is developing two major thermal power projects in Maharashtra with an investment of Rs 27,000 crore. The total capacity under project development would be 5400 MW, which is among the largest in the private sector.

The company is implementing the two power plants with an installed capacity of 2,700 MW each in Amravati and Nashik region. The first unit of these projects is expected to go on stream in May next year.