Bathinda, January 8
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed that at least 100 mock votes be cast using electronic voting machines (EVMs) before starting the actual voting procedure on January 30.

These instructions were passed on to more than 5,900 polling staff summoned for rehearsal at the Government Polytechnic College here today.

Opposing these directions, the election staff on duty said the polling procedure starts at 8 am and is completed by 5 pm. “Earlier, we used to cast mock votes double the number of candidates. This means that if there were six candidates, we used to get 12 mock votes polled. For this, we had to begin the exercise at 7 am. Now with 100 mock polls to be cast, we will have to start before 6 am,” said one of the teachers on duty.

Another employee rued that the Election Commission does not ensure any food or sleeping arrangements for the election staff.

“Since most of the woman staff is deployed within the municipal limits, unofficially, we exempt them from staying at the polling station overnight. They report early in the morning on the day of polling,” pointed out an employee.

While the staff reports at 5 pm on the eve of polls, they work round the clock on the day of polling and usually wind up their work of sealing the machines and compiling the records by 2 am.

“The polling stations of Maur and Talwandi Sabo usually lack staff. Most of the times, staff at these two block end up working till 4 am,” added one of the polling staff members posted at Maur.

Close to 98 per cent of the polling stations are located in government schools, which do not have any arrangement for sleeping or food. In rural pockets, the polling staff usually depends on various political workers to provide them with bedding. At many places there are no eateries around the polling station.

“Last time too, assembly elections were held during winters (in February). It had rained on the night before and the area around the entire polling booth was drenched in rain water. We did not have even a bed sheet to protect ourselves from cold. Not wanting to take any risk, we have decided to request political parties to provide us with some quilts and mattresses,” added another.

Besides airing their concerns over the election duties, some government servants assigned election duties also approached the election officers pleading exemption from performing the duty. Couples posted at the election duty pleaded that at least, one of them should be exempted.

District Election Officer KK Yadav, however, said couples would be exempted only in the cases wherein they have children aging less than six months to look after.

Yadav said the polling staff should bring their own tiffin and beddings. “Indeed, there are no provisions for beddings and tiffin for the polling staff, but I have directed all the Returning Officers (ROs) to explore the possibility of having a centralised system for providing meals. Besides, the Election Commission pays them TA/ DA,” he said.

He agreed that staff would indeed have to work early for casting 100 mock polls.

Next rehearsal would be held on January 15.

Bathinda, January 8
Workers of the Congress and the CPI were the only political representatives present at the meeting of the parties' representatives called by SDM-cum-returning officer of Bathinda (Rural) constituency (92) Harjit Singh Kandhola.

Workers of no other political party attended the meeting convened to impart instructions about the election code of conduct, the completing expenses register to be submitted with election officers and defacement of public property.

The parties were directed to take care of public convenience while holding political rallies on roads, which often disrupt traffic movement.

Kandhola elaborated on the procedure of filing nomination papers, adding that the nominations could be filed by January 12. The nomination papers would be scrutinised on January 13 and by January 16, the candidates can withdraw their nominations, he said.

The candidate is allowed to bring only three vehicles within the 100-metre radius of the returning officer's office and just five persons can accompany the candidate.

These orders have been issued while taking a strict view of the show of strength that candidates put up while filing their nomination papers.

A general category candidate will pay Rs 10,000 as fees for filing nomination while a reserved category candidate would have to submit Rs 5,000.

The requisite papers needed for filing the nominations include the proposer copy, a copy of voters' list wherein candidates name appears as a voter and affidavits mentioning the candidate's assets, liabilities and criminal record.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India has appointed Naveen Gupta, an IRS officer from Mumbai, and KK Nath, an IRS officer from Nagpur, as the observers for poll expenditure.

A batch of three general observers has also been finalised for Bathinda. They would reach Bathinda on January 12.

Bathinda, January 8
A two and a half years-old boy was found abandoned at Bathinda Railway Station in the wee hours today. A passer-by saw the child weeping and brought the matter into the notice of Government Railway Police (GRP) officials. The railway authorities called up volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa, an NGO, who took the child in their custody.

One of the volunteers, Tek Chand, said the child was weeping at a railway platform after the Avadh-Assam Express had left at around 3 am.

The child seemed to be from a Nepalese family and was well-clad in woollens. He is too young to speak and kept crying till he was brought to Tek Chand's house.

"I took him to my home where he fell asleep after few hours. He woke up and we offered him milk and biscuits," said Tek Chand.

Medical examination of the child was conducted. Later, the local police and senior officials of the district administration were informed about it.

Efforts were being made by the police and the railway authorities to trace the family members of the child.

A case in this connection was yet to be registered by the police at the time of filing this report.

It is pertinent to mention here that around one and a half months ago, a newborn boy was found abandoned in a train at the railway station. After making futile efforts to ascertain the identity of the child, the authorities had sent him to an 'ashram' in Patiala.

Sahara volunteers said if they failed to trace the family members of the child found today, he would be taken to the 'ashram' in Patiala as well.

It may be recalled that two foetuses were recovered from near the railway station and Nachhattar Nagar here during the last four days.

Bathinda, January 8
The police has booked six members of a family, including three sisters, two brothers and their father for kidnapping and forceful detaining a woman.

The family members have been booked on the basis of a complaint filed by Gian Chand, a resident of village Lehange Wala falling under the Rori police station of Sirsa district in Haryana.

Gian Chand alleged that the in-laws of his daughter had kidnapped and detained her at an undisclosed place due to reasons best known to them.

He said his daughter, Saroj Rani, around 26 years of age, was married to Harvinder Singh, a resident of Kotfatta.

Gian Chand said the marriage was solemnised as per the wishes of the boy’s family members around three years ago. The family members of the boy were given dowry as per his paying capacity. The entire family of the boy was happy over the arrangements made for the marriage and expressed their satisfaction over the dowry as well.

The in-laws of Saroj, however, started harassing his daughter over one pretext or the other after some time.

The father alleged that his daughter has been missing for nearly a month and there has been no trace despite his repeated requests and pleas to the family members.

Investigating Officer (IO) in the case, SI Jaspal Singh said that a case under sections 365, 342 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered in this connection against the family members of the boy.

Those booked by the police have been identified as the husband of the missing woman, Harvinder Singh, Satnam Singh—sons of Jarnail Singh—Kali Kaur, Binder Kaur and Soni Kaur—all daughters of Jarnail Singh—and Jarnail Singh himself.

The IO said no arrests have been made in this regard so far. However, efforts are being made by the police to trace the missing woman. He pointed out that the missing woman has no child and his in-laws claim that she left the home of her own.

Police parties have been formed and dispatched to different locations to ascertain the whereabouts of the missing woman.

Bathinda, January 8
Sunday proved to be sunny for the city residents, who had lost the last two days to dense fog, drizzle and chill.

Unwanted fog and untimely drizzle that had been wreaking havoc in Bathinda and its adjoining areas during the last two days relented today giving the much-needed relief to the residents, who basked the sun that appeared just after two days.

The mercury, though, dipped in the early hours but later the sunlight pushed it a bit in the afternoon saving the holiday for the citizens.

Mercury again plummeted to record 3.8 degrees Celsius in the morning worsening the prevailing cold waves conditions, as per the agri-met department of the PUA regional station, Bathinda.

The minimum temperature on Saturday was 8.8 degrees Celsius. The day’s high was 15 degrees Celsius, around three degrees higher than the yesterday.

The bad weather conditions faced by the residents were caused by the western disturbances, sources in the weather room said.

Though served as a ordeal for the residents, the weather marked by dense fog accompanied by intermittent drizzle and biting cold had been on the expected lines as far as the weathermen are concerned. They had predicted the chances of the weather’s mood swing hinting improvement on and after Sunday.

Cashing on the situation, residents today thronged the markets, including Sunday market at Amrik Singh Road, where sellers of woollens were found doing brisk business.

Just like ‘making hay while sunshine’, housewives - for whom the last two days were horrible as when the bad weather conditions were making things difficult day-long power cut came to add in the winter woes - were found busy doing daily chores, including washing cloths, cleaning house.

Children were also pleased with the change in weather as they got the chance to play. They were forced to stay indoors for the last two days due to severe cold waves.

Bathinda, January 8
With the weather relenting on Sunday, the movement of the trains that derailed due for dense fog has started returning on tracks. Many trains passing through Bathinda station had been running behind the schedule for hours following the emergence of fog in the region. The foggy weather had affected super fast trains also. Thousands of passengers had to face inconveniences at the Bathinda station in the prevailing severe cold waves conditions, which was intensified following the emergence of dense fog delaying the trains.

The passengers had to brave chill waiting for the trains in the harsh weather conditions as mercury failed to surpass the 12 degrees Celsius mark at the maximum level during the last two days. It may be mentioned that the last two days Friday and Saturday proved to be the coldest days of this winter as maximum temperature remained 11.2 degrees and 12.2 degrees Celsius, respectively, the lowest so far of the season.

The fog was the main culprit as far as the train passengers are concerned as several trains including, the 12137 Punjab Mail, 14888 Kalka-Jhodpur, 15609 Awadh-Assam, 12555 AC super fast, 19226 Jammu Tawi-Bathinda, Janta Exapress, Ahemdabad-Jammu got delayed from hour to six hours during the period. Many passengers returned their tickets causing loss to the railway, sources in the railway said. Normalcy in terms of timing had not been restored but there was cer improvement in visibility. Many trains, including Punjab Mail that had been running behind schedule for several hours during the past few days, were found catching their timings.

Bathinda, January 8
Youth Congress leaders today pledged to fight against the rising menace of drugs. Addressing the media today, the newly-elected Youth Congress president Khushbaz Singh Jattana said the youth leaders have also decided to fight against the use of drugs during elections. He claimed that the Congress leaders and workers of the Youth Congress would fight the coming Vidhan Sabha elections unitedly.

He said a selected team of the Youth Congress leaders will be sent to Delhi for a four-days training to popularise the principles of the Congress party.

Bathinda, January 8
Three drug peddlers werearrested in two separate incidents for smuggling poppy husk. The accused have been identified as Ravi Kumar, Ishant Kumar, both residents of Janta Nagar and Jagsir Singh of Mansa.

While Ravi and Ishant were arrested with 30 kilogrammes and 100 grams poppy husk from the Dabwali road, Jagsir was arrested from Bagha village with 15 kilogrammes and 100 grams of poppy husk. Two separate cases under Sections of the NDPS Act have been registered at the Canal Colony and Rama police station.

Woman found dead: A destitute woman, aged around 70 years, who had been putting up in the open for the last few months, was found dead at the local Mal Godam road. The deceased could not be identified. Sahara Jan Sewa volunteers took her to a nearby hospital. Her body has been kept in the mortuary of the local civil hospital.

Bathinda, January 8
The Bathinda police today claimed to bust a gang of vehicle thieves with the arrest of two residents of Bathinda and Ludhiana.

The accused have been identified as Sarabjit Singh of Rasulpur village in Ludhiana and Sanjay Bansal of the Aggarwal Colony, Bathinda.

Investigating officer SI Harjinder Singh said a case in this connection has been registered against the accused under Sections 174-A, 419, 420, 465, 467, 468, 471, 379 and 411 of the IPC at the Canal Colony Police Station.

He further added that the accused are involved in stealing vehicles from the nearby cities of Bathinda and sell the same in Bathinda.

“They used prepare fake documents of the vehicles and sell it to different buyers, the investigating officer pointed out.

It has yet not been ascertained as to whether they took the help of any District Transport Officials.

He added that during the preliminary investigation it has come to fore that there are two or three more people involved with them.

“Efforts are being made by the police to arrest their accomplice. Two stolen motorcycles and one tempo have been recovered from their possession and more recoveries are likely to be made in this regard soon,” said the police officials.