B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Stadium site turns into filthy pond
Moga, January 3
The corroding plank of a foundation stone laid by the then Congress government more than 16 years ago to construct a sports stadium at Kot-ise-Khan town in the Dharamkot assembly constituency of the district is a silent witness to forgotten promises
The sports stadium, foundation stone of which was laid in 1995, has turned into a pond and garbage dumping ground at Kot-ise-Khan town in Moga. Tribune photo

Violation of poll code goes unabated in Muktsar 
Muktsar, January 3
Despite the poll panel authorities launching a special drive to remove hoardings, banners and posters of the parties and politicians from the roadsides, the violation of the poll code still goes on in the politically volatile Muktsar district.
Posters of political parties dotting a wall at the bus stand in Muktsar on Tuesday. A Tribune photograph

Words of consolation

CM Parkash Singh Badal condoles SAD candidate from Bathinda, Sarup Singla, after his mother’s death, in Bathinda on Tuesday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Army engineer to be quizzed by CBI
Abohar, January 3
While responding to the requisition made by the CBI, the Army officials today escorted garrison engineer Major Anudhya Rai to the Jodhpur office of the Central agency, sources informed late evening.

Anxiety among Cong leaders for party ticket
Fazilka, January 3
There is a state of anxiety and speculation among the aspirants for the party ticket and their supporters due to the delay in the announcement by the Congress. The present scenario is the outcome of lobbying and high stakes for the party ticket amongst half a dozen ‘serious’ candidates.

Illicit liquor distillery units unearthed
Ferozepur, January 3
The Ferozepur police today unearthed another eight illicit liquor distillery units and booked 17 persons in this regard along with a huge cache of the country-made liquor during a raid at village Nihanga Dakhli near Dulchi Ke, situated on the banks of the Sutlej along the Indo-Pakistan border.

 Stadium site turns into filthy pond
Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS

Moga, January 3
The corroding plank of a foundation stone laid by the then Congress government more than 16 years ago to construct a sports stadium at Kot-ise-Khan town in the Dharamkot assembly constituency of the district is a silent witness to forgotten promises, which are a routine in politics to lure the electorate.

The foundation stone of the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium was laid by the then Education Minister Lakhmir Singh Randhawa and the then Urban Development Minister Pandit Bal Mukand in the presence of the then Parliamentary Secretary Malti Thapar on February 17, 1995. All these years, the respective governments did not even bother to look at the project after laying the foundation stone.

The leaders may have forgotten this foundation stone, but the residents of the town remember the political betrayal and the youth are still living on hopes and promises.

“I will be voting for the first time, but I will not cast my vote for those who betrayed us,” said a local youth, Rajinder Singh.

The foundation stone of the project has been lying defaced behind a garbage dump and the envisioned playground has virtually turned into a dirty pond where residents drain out sewage and waste water.

Ironically, Dr Malti Thapar, whose name also figures on this forgotten foundation stone, is aspiring to contest the ensuing assembly election on the Congress ticket from this constituency.

This constituency has been represented by SAD MLA and chief parliamentary secretary Sheetal Singh for the last 15 years, but he failed to convince the successive governments to take up the 
project.

Now, the SAD has fielded its senior party leader Jathedar Tota Singh to contest elections from here.

The local SGPC member, Sukhjeet Singh Kaka, who has become a popular leader of the area and is eying the Congress ticket from here, has alleged that the government’s apathy towards sports in the rural areas had made the youth turn to drugs.

 Violation of poll code goes unabated in Muktsar 
Archit Watts/TNS

Muktsar, January 3
Despite the poll panel authorities launching a special drive to remove hoardings, banners and posters of the parties and politicians from the roadsides, the violation of the poll code still goes on in the politically volatile Muktsar district.

Almost a week on, the guidelines of the Election Commission of India (ECI) are yet to be followed in the home district of the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, having Lambi, Gidderbaha, Muktsar and Malout Assembly constituencies.

Huge hoardings, posters and stickers of all the political parties are still visible on the roads, be it local or highway. However, no serious note has been taken by the authorities concerned except giving a mere warning to the violators.

The worst part is that many hoardings, flags and banners have been erected by the potential candidates and their supporters near the streetlights, road dividers and busy intersections.

The complaints have also been lodged at the Election Complaint-cum-Control room established at the district administration complex but to no avail. It seems that the officials are under pressure from the political parties not to take action against the violators.

Deputy Commissioner, Muktsar, Arshdeep Singh, who is also the District Electoral Officer, said, "We have told the representatives of all political parties to remove their hoardings, posters and other publicity material or to face action."

On being asked about the action taken against the violators, he failed to give any satisfactory reply. Officials in the Deputy Commissioner's office said as such, no show-cause notice has been issued to any violator, be it the ruling party or the parties in opposition.

 MES scam
Army engineer to be quizzed by CBI
Our Correspondent

Abohar, January 3
While responding to the requisition made by the CBI, the Army officials today escorted garrison engineer Major Anudhya Rai to the Jodhpur office of the Central agency, sources informed late evening.

As per the details, the CBI sleuths interrogated Major Rai in the presence of the MES commander, RK Bansal, who had been remanded in the CBI custody till Wednesday by the special court. The Army officials explained that the garrison engineer has not so far been arrested. He is being interrogated only under the provisions of the Section 125 of the Army Act. Even when Rs 20,000 had allegedly been found at his table on December 29, he denied having accepted the bribe from a partner of the MES contractor Mukhpal Singh.

Notably, the CBI team led by DSP YP Sharma had caught Bansal from the official car along with the ‘bribe’, Rs 50,000, on December 29 near village Kallarkhera on the Abohar-Sriganganagar road. 

 Anxiety among Cong leaders for party ticket
Praful Chander Nagpal

Fazilka, January 3
There is a state of anxiety and speculation among the aspirants for the party ticket and their supporters due to the delay in the announcement by the Congress. The present scenario is the outcome of lobbying and high stakes for the party ticket amongst half a dozen ‘serious’ candidates.

“There is confusion amongst the workers over the name of the candidate from the Fazilka assembly constituency as the delay could cause damage to the vote bank of the party,” said Des Raj, a supporter of Davinder Sachdeva, an aspirant for the ticket.

The prospective candidates include former MLA Mohinder Rinwa, other senior Congressman Captain MS Bedi, grandson of former Congress MLA, Kanwar Lajinder Singh Bedi, two-time municipal councillor and former secretary (PPCC) Davinder Sachdeva, Task Force Member, Ministry of Food Processing, Government of India, youth leader Atul Nagpal and Sukhwant Singh Brar.

Besides, there are three to four keen aspirants, Dr Satnam Singh, Dr Harjit Singh Shahri and Puran Mujedia from the Rai Sikh community, which has a sizeable vote bank after the reorganisation of the Fazilka constituency. The community has a big vote bank in Fazilka and Ferozepur districts.

Their representatives are lobbying for tickets from these districts. They are reportedly pressurising the state and the Central leadership to grant tickets for them.

“The community members could vote en masse against the Congress, if their nominees are denied the tickets from Fazilka and Ferozepur districts,” said one of the aspirants for the ticket, pleading anonymity.

The supporters of Mohinder Rinwa and Davinder Sachdeva exploded crackers in competition today in the grain market in front of their respective offices, in anticipation of their respective leaders getting the ticket.

Though the Rai Sikh Community candidates are novices in the poll arena, there are speculations that the Congress high command may spring a surprise by fielding a dark horse, a candidate from the Rai Sikh community to woo the voters in the Fazilka and Ferozepur district belts.

This belt is likely to witness a high profile battle involving Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad, Transport Minister Surjit Kumar Jyani from Fazilka, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi of Congress from Guruharsahai, Sunil Jakhar of Congress from Abohar and Chief Parliamentary Secretary from Ferozepur, Sukhpal Singh Nannu.

  Illicit liquor distillery units unearthed

Ferozepur, January 3
The Ferozepur police today unearthed another eight illicit liquor distillery units and booked 17 persons in this regard along with a huge cache of the country-made liquor during a raid at village Nihanga Dakhli near Dulchi Ke, situated on the banks of the Sutlej along the Indo-Pakistan border.