B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Breach in canal system damages standing crops
Abohar, December 22
Breaches in the Malukpura sub-canal in different villages inundated standing cotton, sugarcane and other crop fields spread over hundreds of acres in Abohar sub division today.

Breach in the Malukpura sub-canal in Abohar sub-division has destroyed crops in hundreds of acres as water inundated the area on Thursday. Photo: Raj Sadosh

Trains cancelled
Ferozepur, December 22
The winter fog is taking its toll on the rail traffic due to which the passengers are bearing the brunt. More than 16 trains have already been cancelled upto December 31 due to extreme foggy conditions.

Agitating EGS teachers vow to take on Badals in polls
Muktsar, December 22
Demanding regular government jobs and agitating for the last 25 days at Gidderbaha, the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teachers today announced that they would contest the forthcoming Assembly elections against the members of the ruling Badal family.

Punjab pharmacists’ dharna enters Day 11
Mansa, December 22
The dharna by the Punjab State Pharmacists Association today entered its 11th day. The protesters burnt the effigy of the Punjab Health Minister at the Bara Hatta Chowk.

One killed, 11 injured in road accident
Gidderbaha, December 22
Dense fog in the morning claimed the life of a youngster, while 11 others sustained injuries after a jeep collided head-on with a canter on the Malout-Chandigarh national highway near here.



Mangled remains of vehicles, which collided head-on near Gidderbaha on Thursday. A Tribune photograph

Compensation arrives for flood-hit
Fazilka, December 22
The district administration has received a sum of about Rs 34 crore as compensation for the damage caused by the devastating floods during the months of August and September this year. The compensation is for the loss of standing crops of mainly paddy and cotton, houses, human lives and cattle heads.

Needy get free medicines at health camp held in Ferozepur
Ferozepur, December 22
Hundreds of poor and needy patients belonging to the economically weaker strata were examined and given free medicines during a multispeciality medical check-up camp held on the premises of the Anil Baghi Hospital in memory of Dr Anil Baghi who was shot dead by the terrorists during the peak of militancy in the state.

Breach in canal system damages standing crops
Raj Sadosh

Abohar, December 22
Breaches in the Malukpura sub-canal in different villages inundated standing cotton, sugarcane and other crop fields spread over hundreds of acres in Abohar sub division today.

While the farmers blamed the Irrigation Department for blindly running the canal system to its full capacity, the officials asserted that overflowing canal suffered breaches as the farmers had shut the outlets since no water was required for irrigating the fields as of now. Am Media team found that breaches had developed at burji number 109 in Kikkarkhera, burji number 147 near Dalmirkhera and burji number 153 in Bhangarkhera village located at the tail end of the canal system.

The gushing water was diverted by affecting a cut in the Abulkhurana drain as it was fast heading towards residential area in village Kikkarkhera on the Abohar-Dharampura road.

A former sarpanch Babu Singh working as contractual farmer and Harnek Singh said breach near village Kikkarkhera had earlier damaged wheat crop six months back. Other affected farmers Gurmeet Singh, Jaskaran Singh, Gurlal Singh, Jaswinder Singh, Moman Bhadoo and Ravi Raj regretted that the Irrigation Department had not been able to regulate water supply as per demand from the farming community. No efforts to strengthen the canals in Abohar segment were made during the past few years. They urged the state government to provide an escape gate in the system at village Kikkarkhera to facilitate diversion of surplus water to the Sayeedwala drain that emanated from the Ramsara section of the Abulkhurana drain.

Senior officials have reached the site, supply from Sotha head works in Muktsar region has been suspended to take up plugging of the breaches.

Trains cancelled
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, December 22
The winter fog is taking its toll on the rail traffic due to which the passengers are bearing the brunt. More than 16 trains have already been cancelled upto December 31 due to extreme foggy conditions.

When contacted, senior railway official of the Ferozepur division confirmed the cancellation of the trains, adding that if the weather aggravates further, more trains might have to be cancelled.

The trains which have been cancelled include 54641/54642 between Ferozepur-Delhi, 54045/54046 between Jakhal-Ferozepur, 74911/74912 between Hoshiarpur-Jalandhar, 74939/74932 between Jalandhar-Ferozepur, 74647/74651 between Jalandhar-Amritsar, 74652 between Dera Baba Nank-Amritsar, 74024 between Jalandhar-Amritsar, 74966/74967 between Philaur-Ludhiana and 74968/74969 between Phillaur-Ludhiana.

Besides, several express and passenger trains are also reportedly running hours behind schedule. The trains which are reportedly running late include the Bathinda-Jammu Tawi, Ferozepur-Mumbai Punjab Mail, Ahmedabad-Jammu Tawi, Dhanbad Express, Jan Shatabdi and the Shan-e-Punjab.

Agitating EGS teachers vow to take on Badals in polls
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, December 22
Demanding regular government jobs and agitating for the last 25 days at Gidderbaha, the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teachers today announced that they would contest the forthcoming Assembly elections against the members of the ruling Badal family.

“After failing to get any assurance from Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, we have decided to contest the Assembly elections against all members of the ruling Badals, including Parkash Singh, his son Sukhbir Singh, daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur, Bikramjit Singh Majithia and Adesh Partap Singh Kairon," said Pritpal Singh, President, EGS Teachers' Union, while talking over the phone.

"We will wait till tomorrow. If the government fails to fulfill our demand of providing regular jobs to those EGS activists who have cleared the ETT course, we will opt for a political method, and jump into politics. We know our candidates will not get much votes, but it will definitely dent the votes of the ruling Badals,” he added.

Firm on his stand, Pritpal said the activists had earlier attempted to commit suicide to get the jobs, so, contesting elections against these leaders was not a big task for them.

"We want government jobs and will try every method to get it," he added.

He added that all their candidates would add "berozgar" (unemployed) as their surname, while contesting the elections.

Punjab pharmacists’ dharna enters Day 11

Mansa, December 22
The dharna by the Punjab State Pharmacists Association today entered its 11th day. The protesters burnt the effigy of the Punjab Health Minister at the Bara Hatta Chowk.

Health services got paralysed in Bhikhi, Budhlada, Mansa, Khiala Kalan, Sardulgarh, Jhunir, Behniwal, Bhaini, Phaphre Bhaike, Joga, Karandi and Ubba in view of the protests.

District president of the union Sukhwinder Sharma and state committee member Kewal Krishan said that they are concerned about the patients but have to fight against the lackadaisical attitude of the government in view of their long-pending demands. Shishan Kumar, Rakesh Kumar, Surinder Kumar, Jagvir Vinta and others were also present on the occasion. — TNS

One killed, 11 injured in road accident
Tribune News Service

Gidderbaha, December 22
Dense fog in the morning claimed the life of a youngster, while 11 others sustained injuries after a jeep collided head-on with a canter on the Malout-Chandigarh national highway near here.

The police said that the mishap took place at about 8:30 am, in which Sanjeev Narang, a resident of Fazilka, succumbed to his injuries while the others were receiving treatment.

The ill-fated jeep was carrying candidates from Fazilka, who were on their way to Bathinda to appear in a B.Ed exam.

Avtar Singh, SHO, Gidderbaha, said, "A case has been registered and efforts are on to nab the driver of the canter, who managed to flee from the spot."

Compensation arrives for flood-hit
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, December 22
The district administration has received a sum of about Rs 34 crore as compensation for the damage caused by the devastating floods during the months of August and September this year. The compensation is for the loss of standing crops of mainly paddy and cotton, houses, human lives and cattle heads.

According to officials figures, the compensation for the partially and fully damaged crops, to the tune of about Rs 20 crore 9 lakhs in about 50104 acres of land in Fazilka district, comprising the Fazilka, Abohar and Jalalabad sub-divisions, is being disbursed.

Similarly, compensation worth Rs 13 crore 20 lakhs shall be paid to the owners of about 21503 partially, severely and totally damaged kutchha and pucca houses in dozens of villages. "A compensation of Rs one lakh each to five flood victims including a woman has already been paid to their family members,” said Additional Deputy Commissioner, Fazilka, Charandev Singh Maan, adding that the compensation amount for the damaged crops and houses has been sent to the respective SDMs of the three sub-divisions which would be disbursed soon.

"The local administration has received the full amount for the loss of crops, houses etc which they had prepared by conducting special girdawri after the floods and are wanted to disburse the amount as early as possible,” added Maan.

Such huge losses in terms of damage to the houses and to the standing crops have raised eyebrows.

"The government has been generous enough in releasing compensation with an eye on the ensuing polls. Whenever there are floods in Punjab near the elections, there is also a "flood" of damaged houses, indicating some suspicion over the hiked figures of damage to crops and houses,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

Moreover, the government has not taken any remedial steps to check damage in future following the floods, but is keen to distribute the relief as early as possible.

Needy get free medicines at health camp held in Ferozepur
Our Correspondent

Ferozepur, December 22
Hundreds of poor and needy patients belonging to the economically weaker strata were examined and given free medicines during a multispeciality medical check-up camp held on the premises of the Anil Baghi Hospital in memory of Dr Anil Baghi who was shot dead by the terrorists during the peak of militancy in the state.

Dr Kamal Baghi, medical director of the hospital, said that in all, 668 patients were examined by a panel of various specialists which included Dr Naresh Khanna, Dr Manohar Kukkar, Dr M S Tinna, Dr Vikas Arora, Dr Alok Aggarwal, Dr Mukta Baghi, Dr Naveen Chitkara, Dr Rajiv Bhtia, and Dr Ashisk Kaura besides other eminent specialists.