Bathinda, September 25
The teachers running the Anganwari centres in Bathinda city are paying its rent from their own pockets for the last four years. While these teachers get Rs 2300 as salary, each teacher pays Rs 700 on an average as rent to the owners of the building from where these Anganwari centres are being run.

There are 150 Anganwari centres in the city and 90 per cent of these are being run from rented accommodation. The rest of the 10 per cent are either being run in dharamshalas (inns) or in a room allotted in the government schools.

As per the rules of the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) of the Government of India, Anganwari centres running in rural pockets are paid Rs 200 and urban areas are paid Rs 700 per month as rent for the building.

Though Bathinda city falls in the urban category, it has been sanctioned rent as per the eligibility for the rural category. "The problem is that we have not even been paid the rural rent fee. We are paying the whole rent from our own pockets. In some cases, Anganwari workers have requested the building owners to claim the rent only after the government releases the same," said an Anganwari worker pleading anonymity.

Anganwari workers are paid a mere Rs 2300 per month and after paying Rs 700 as rent, there is little left for their own families. The state government revised their salaries to Rs 3,800 but is yet to issue a notification regarding this.

"Running these centres is our liability and moral duty. We have grown so attached to the children that we can't even think of leaving them in the lurch," said another worker from a slum area of the city.

Meanwhile, sources in the child development project office said that earlier, these centres were opened only in the rural areas. Around four years ago, the urban pockets were also given these centres. While centres in all other districts are under the social welfare department, those in Bathinda are under the Child Welfare Council (CWC).

In Bathinda, the rural scheme was extended to the urban areas under the same nomenclature (rural). When the CDPO officials pointed this out, they were told that the CWC will chart out a different project for the area, which has not been done till date.

"Consequently, while neighbouring Mansa is getting Rs 700 for the urban centres, we are not even getting Rs 200. Our department has repeatedly taken up the issue with the state as well as the union government but no one listens," she added.

Child Development and Project Officer (CDPO) Sukhvir Kaur said her department has repeatedly taken up the issue. "The CWC chairperson has taken personal interest and is pursuing the matter aggressively with the Central Government. When the issue is cleared, all the workers would get their arrears and dues," she said. The matter is expected to be sorted out within a month.

• Anganwari centres are being run all over the country under the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).

• Bathinda city has 150 of these within the municipal limits and 90 per cent of them are working from rented accomodations.

• They cater to children in the age-group of 0 to 6 years

• Anganwari workers perform a variety of tasks. They look after the health of the children and expecting mothers, maintain birth and death records and are an integral component of the pulse polio campaign.
  

Bathinda, September 25
Residents of Baba Deep Singh Nagar today beat up seven Army jawans for their suspected involvement in wrongful activities and loitering.

The residents said that many Army jawans used to visit the area with wrong intentions and used to keep an eye on their women. They were warned by the residents umpteen times but to no avail.

The residents today decided to teach a lesson to the jawans and stopped three jawans in a street at around 1.30 pm.

The Army men were making rounds of various streets in the residential area on foot. The residents enquired about the jawan's motive in entering the streets repeatedly but they failed to give a satisfactory reply. They were later beaten up by more than hundred people including women.

Police was informed and the three jawans were handed over to the police after a severe dressing down. Later in the evening, at around 4.30 pm, four more Army jawans were again beaten up in a similar manner.

They were on motorbikes and were stopped by residents as they were making rounds of the streets. They were forced to sit on the garbage after removing their clothes till the police arrived.

Canal police station in-charge Sandeep Bhati confirmed the incident and said the accused were taken to the Vardhman police post. He added that no case has been registered in this regard and senior Army officers were informed about the incident.

Police said the jawans had the Army outpass and were not in an inebriated condition. Senior Army officials arrived from the Army headquarters in Bathinda and took the jawans away.

Bathinda, September 25
Despite significant damage to the recently constructed building of the urban health centre in Dhobiana Basti, no action has been initiated by the authorities to stop its further damage.

Miscreants are damaging the newly-constructed building in ward number 9 for the last few months.

Instead of the paramedics, doctors or physicians, miscreants and drug addicts are visiting the hospital premises everyday. Residents of the area said drug addicts and children find the place appropriate for their routine activities.

A visit to the building, which was completed around five months ago, reveals that all the windowpanes, toilets, doors, tubelights and electric boards were damaged by the unscrupulous elements.

There is barely anything in the building which is not shattered in the 29 room building. While children used to play outside, drug addicts enter inside and enjoy drugs in the empty rooms which have power supply and fans.

Residents said the building is of no use to them but is utilised by the children and drug addicts only.

Also, the garbage dumped beside the boundary wall of the hospital emits a foul smell. "Despite informing the local leaders, visiting doctors and the government officials, nothing has been done so far," said Gulab Devi, who lives in front of the main entrance of the hospital.

She regretted that people, especially the children and the elderly, are suffering from health problems due to the garbage and find it difficult to contact the doctors.

Her neighbour, Rajni said that many children in her locality are suffering from fever for the last many days. They are suffering from malaria and dengue, she said. Municipal councillor of ward number-9, Asesar Paswan, while admitting to the problem, demanded that doctors should be deployed in the building on which a whopping Rs 2.5 crore were spent. Its foundation stone was laid by former Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla over a year ago, he said. Councillor Manjit Singh in Dhobiana Basti said similar health centres were built in other parts of the city but failed to leave any impression due to the lack of pro-active approach by the authorities.

Despite spending the money, people have to go all the way to the Civil Hospital for treatment.

He said there are no security personnel or watchmen deployed in the building even many months after its completion and now more money would be spent on its repair, he said.

The hospital is plagued by many problems. Despite its completion, authorities failed to take care of the building. Though some medical staff was deployed a few days ago it will take a few more days for it to function properly. It is sad that more money would be required for the hospital because of the damage done by the miscreants to the newly-constructed hospital.~

Asesar Paswan Councillor, ward No. 9

Though the government has spent over Rs 2 crores on the building, it is of no use for the public. Instead, money could be used for cleanliness. Health officials ask us to avoid polluted water but what about the garbage dumped in front of our homes? It is sheer wastage of money to build such buildings sans doctors and staff.~

Gulab Devi, Resident of the area

More than a dozen people are suffering from high fever in the locality and have to go all the way to the Civil Hospital for treatment. The money spent on the building is of no use for the poor. Drug addicts enter the hospital premises and enjoy consuming drugs as its gates remain open. There is nobody to switch off the lights and other electric appliances installed in the hospital premises which remain switched on even during the day time.

Ganesh Ram, Resident of the area

We are in the process of appointing a team of doctors and paramedics and the hospital in Dhobiana Basti would be made functional in the next few days or so. The construction of the hospital and the expenditure incurred on it would not be allowed to go waste and its benefits would surely reach the people living in the area.~

RS Randhawa, District health officer

Bathinda, September 25
Predominantly inhabited by the Jat Sikhs, Baniyas and Mazhabi Sikhs, Bathinda has turned into an ethnic potpourri with people from various corners of the country becoming a part of it.

In the last one decade, especially in the years after 2005, migration from different states to this erstwhile sleepy town has increased and the city has witnessed the mingling of culture.

Initially, the depots of Indian Oil Corporation and then the Bathinda refinery and now the many thermal power projects coming up around the district have attracted a lot of people seeking better employment opportunities.

Assistant professor with the Centre for South and Central Asian Studies, Central University of Punjab (CUP), Dr VJ Varghese terms this migration as the need of the hour. "With heavy industry finding its roots in Bathinda, the local or even the regional populace was not enough to cater to its need. So people pitched in from different parts of country to run these projects," he says. The varsity itself has people from 14 states studying and teaching here.

If the sprouting dosa serving eateries are anything to go by, the city boasts of a number of Malayalees and other South Indian families residing in the civil as well as the cantonment areas. festivals like Onam, Durga Puja, Pongal and Baisakhi are all celebrated with great fervour. "We have a number of Sikh family friends visiting us at the time of Onam," says Davis Joseph, a Malayalee, who settled in Bathinda 33 years ago and is among first Malayalee's to make Bathinda his home. Today, there are around 500 Malayalee families living in the district, adds Ajay Kumar, another Keralite who has been in Bathinda for the last two decades.

Apart from the city, there many South Indians live in Ganganagar and Ferozepur.

Consequently, these people have even demanded that the Punjab Mail be run on the Ganganagar-Kerala or Ferozepur-Kerala route.

However, for Bengalis like lecturer PK Sadhu, who has been organizing Durga Pua in Bathinda for many years now, the city is yet to imbibe people from other cultures into its fabric. "That feeling of being an outsider still takes over sometimes. Not all, but some people still treat us like outsiders. For instance, rates are graded according to your accent. When a non-Punjabi goes , the rates are definitely higher," he adds.

Despite all this, Bathinda continues to be a sponge, absorbing people from various walks of life.

Bathinda, September 25
With the number of persons coming to the city for jobs heading northwards, the presence of dabbawalas has become all the more evident. So much so, some locals even switched their professions to supply regular meals to those staying away from the comfort of their home and hearth.

The industrial development of the city has wooed many outsiders, which in turn, has proved to be a boon for the locals. Many who were jobless earlier also get to earn something today. One can easily notice a dabbawala on the city roads supplying food to paying guests during the meals hours.

Baljinder Singh, a local, quit carpentry two months back and now supplies as many as 20 tiffins in the city these days. "I can earn sufficient money from this service. This has enabled me to provide good education to my daughter, who is pursuing her pre-medical study," he says.

"I get full support from my wife, be it purchasing vegetables or cooking food to ensure regular supply of tiffins," he adds.

Amrit Sharma, who is into property dealership, is supplying tiffin as a side business. "We have been supplying tiffins in the Model Town area for more than two years now. A majority of our customers are the employees of the Bathinda Refinery. We supply nearly 150 tiffins thrice a day," he said.

With the rise in prices, he doesn't mind increasing the price of tiffin but never compromised on the quality of food.

Another local, Raman Narang, who is into this trade for the past few months, finds this business very lucrative.

"It is my side business and has supplemented the earnings from my main business of selling shoes. I supply 70-80 tiffins a day, mainly in the Ajit Road area."

Darshan Singh supplies nearly 80 tiffins near the bus stand and in the court complex. He owns an electronics shop.

"I have been in this business for over two years now and have never received any complaint from my customers. They say it is no less than the home-made food."

The dabbawalas in Bathinda may not have the same fame as their counterparts in Mumbai who are invited to top management institutes to deliver lectures and are feted by the royalty like Prince Charles of Britain. But that they are serving their purpose is a point proved beyond the point with their increasing clientele.

Bathinda, September 25
There are two active centres in the city where people like to check the stuff. However, both are quite different from each other.

One attracts the elite and the other the middle-class. On Sundays, the market at the Amrik Singh road is a hot spot for those who do not mind buying the unbranded commodities.

The shops of this huge market have no sheds or walls and held under the shades of trees or even on the footpath. It draws the attention of mainly migrant workers, labourers and the poor class. It is a favourite source of their entertainment. Every weekend, they come here and buy the sufficient useful goods for the next week.

Like, Munna Lalji, who came from Dobiana Power House colony to purchase a bag and some clothes for his children. He explained, “It is very economical for people like us, who do not have much income. Usually, we buy our stuff from this market only. We get around 10-20 per cent cheaper than the main markets. Moreover, our children enjoy coming here.” He added that he cannot take his children to the malls and expensive showrooms.

Therefore, he comes to this mini-market with his family on every Sunday for their entertainment.

Govind Mandal and Bhiku Mandal, migrant workers, were purchasing bags. When asked about the market, they said, “From clothes to our kitchen wares, we get everything from this market. And also, we get some change from our daily routine by coming here.”

On the other hand, one side of the city portrays a very different story than the above mentioned description. The big malls attract the young lot as they get everything for their entertainment under one roof.

With the increasing trend in the mall culture among the middle class, some people like to spend their weekends by watching movies and doing window-shopping in the malls.

“Usually, in the city, Sunday is not dynamic day. So, I along with my friends plan for the movies on weekends. We check out the fresh arrivals in the shopping malls,” said Kanwar Rustam, a resident of the Civil Lines.

Neerja likes to spend her time with her family on Sunday. She said, “Normally, there is nothing much to do on Sundays as the main markets are closed. So, I check new movie releases and hag out with my family on the weekends.”

Bathinda, September 25
The police have booked four persons in over an year-old murder case. Baljeet Kaur of Maur Charat Singh village near Maur had lodged a complaint with the police after the mutilated body of her son was found near the Bathinda-Maur railway lines in April, last year. She had alleged that her 22-year-old son Sukhdeep Singh was murdered by some people residing in her village.

An investigation was conducted by the senior police functionaries, including Ferozepur DSP, and finally, a case was registered against four persons, yesterday.

The accused have been identified as Resham Singh, Jagsir Singh, Kulwant Singh, and Makhan Singh, residents of Maur Charat Singh village.

Maur SHO Harvinderpal Singh, who is also the investigating official in the case, said the case was too old and its investigation was still on.

“Though we have conducted a preliminary investigation and four persons have been booked on the complaint of the deceased’s mother, an inquiry is still on,” he said.

The SHO said the deceased’s body was found lying near the railway track but he was not crushed under a train. “It was suspected that some villagers had murdered the boy before leaving his body beside the tracks,” he added.

Statements of villagers, suspected persons, family members and friends of the deceased have been recorded in this regard and it would take some time to reach any conclusions, the investigation official said. He added that police officials had been deployed to collect evidence to establish the truth. Besides, family members of the deceased had also been asked to produce evidence to prove their claims.

He said a case under Sections 302,364, 201 and 34 of the IPC has been registered against the four accused at Maur police station. However, no arrests were made in this regard so far.

Bathinda, September 25
The Bathinda unit of Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) pass candidates today held a meeting at the teachers home wherein they decided to gear up for a massive dharna in Kharar on October 2.

In a press release, district president of the union, Amandeep Singh said the government has delayed in giving certificates of TET despite declaration of results on July 30. He said 1452 candidates were declared pass in TET exam, first paper, conducted by SCERT (State Council for Educational Research and Training). 7333 teachers passed the second paper, he said. The members of the union demanded that the certificates should be issued immediately and they should be appointed as per the requirements, failing which, they would hold a state wide agitation at T-Point in Kharar.

The district president, Dinesh Kumar, Ashwani Kumar, Jagdeep Singh, Sarabjit Kaur, Madhu Bala, Jagsir Singh, Mamta Rampura, Goldy Rampura, Amarjeet Singh Sangat, Chandandeep Singh, Bhushan Kumar were present.