Bathinda, February 2
Against 3000 candidates that were expected to take part in an Army recruitment rally held in the cantonment area on the Barnala road here today, more than 7,000 candidates turned up at the rally venue.

The youngsters reached the entrance of the Army ground on the Barnala road as early as 2 am. Army authorities had to approach the local policemen to manage the youth outside the Army area. Several teams of police commandoes were called in to manage young boys eager to undergo physical tests conducted at the rally.

Though army authorities opened the gates at 4 am and started the registration procedure, it took more than four hours to streamline the process.

"Thousands of young boys were seen all over the Barnala road carrying their proof of birth and educational qualifications. Traffic moved at snail's pace from the Bibi Wala Chowk upto the Army area," said a commando from Bhucho Mandi area who was deployed here.

He said it was quite difficult to manage an unexpected high number of candidates turning up to take the physical tests. "We urged them, using loudspeakers, to accommodate in streamlining the procedure as we could not use baton or harsh words against them because they had come from far-off places looking for a job in the Indian Army," he said.

The candidates from Ferozepur and Fazilka had undergone physical tests at the army grounds today.

Candidates from Bathinda district will participate in the drive tomorrow while those from Muktsar and Faridkot may participate on February 4.

While talking to TNS, Lieutenant-Colonel Arindam Mazumdar, who was supervising the recruitment drive, said the drive would continue till February 7. The drive was to recruit young boys in all groups, including soldier GD (general duty), clerks and technical grades.

He said the boys undergo physical tests, which included running a distance of 1600 metre and doing chin ups. The candidates who run 1600 meters in 5.40 minutes get 60 marks while 48 marks were awarded to the one running the distance in 5.50 minutes, 36 marks for completing the distance in 6 minutes and 24 marks for completing four rounds of the 400 metre ground in more than 6 minutes. They get 40 marks for chin ups and 60 marks for doing chin ups in an excellent manner.

Bathinda, February 2
Urban youth failed to excel in the physical tests as compared to their rural counterparts during an Army recruitment drive held in the cantonment area on the Barnala road here today. Lt-Colonel Arindam Mazumdar, who is supervising the recruitment drive, said the young boys from urban areas were too fragile and most of them were unable to run the distance of 1600 metre.

"There is a decline of physical prowess among the urban youth as many boys failed to run even 800 metre," Mazumdar said.

The instructors helping the young boys to get training from center for training and employment of Punjab youth from Ferozepur said out the batch of 100, only 15 to 20 boys were selected in physical tests.

The tests included running 1600 metre in six minutes and doing 10 chin-ups.

There is a wide gap between the number of boys completing the 1600 metre run and those unable to run a distance of even 800 metre.

Those who failed to finish two rounds of a 400 metre ground were quite more than those completing the 1600 metre.

Apart from practising regularly, the candidates need to build up their stamina by taking balanced diet and refraining from drugs.

Risaldar-Major (retd) Rashpal Singh, the instructor from the center for training and employment of Punjab youth from Ferozepur, said the Punjab Government offers free training to young boys willing to join the Army. The boys between the age group of 17 and 20 may undergo three-month training at these centres. There are 16 training centres in Punjab.

Apart from physical training, the candidates are also provided coaching for the written examination, he said.

Bathinda, February 2
The district election complaint cell, meant for lodging complaints regarding violation of model code of conduct, has been wound up. Since the implementation of the model code of conduct, the cell had been functioning round-the-clock at the Mini-secretariat here to receive the complaints from the people through various sources, like internet, telephone etc.

However, though the elections are now over and the complaint cell has been wound up the in-charge of the cell, Amandeep Singh Bhatti, who is the District Revenue Officer (DRO) here, will continue to receive complaints, if any, from the people with regard to violation of model code of conduct as the code will remain in force till March 9. If he receives any complaint, then the same will be taken up for further action.

According to information, the cell has received 293 complaints during the elections. The maximum number of complaints was received by the cell from the Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency and the minimum number of complaints from the Maur Assembly constituency. However, all the complaints have been disposed of by the administration, an official said today.

Besides, the administration had issued 11 notices to the candidates, the political parties and a newspaper in connection with the violation of model code of conduct. All the notices had been sent to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, by the administration for taking a decision on the same.

As per information, out of the 293 complaints, the maximum number of complaints (92) was received from Bathinda (Urban) Assembly constituency where among others, the sitting MLA and Congress candidate Harminder Singh Jassi, the SAD candidate Sarup Chand Singla and the PPP candidate Sukhdeep Singh Bhinder were in the field. The cell received 88 complaints from Rampura Phul Assembly constituency where among others, the sitting MLA and Congress candidate Gurpreet Singh Kangar and the SAD candidate Sikendar Singh Maluka were in the field.

However, from the Maur Assembly constituency, where among others, the PPP supremo Manpreet Singh Badal, the SAD candidate Janmeja Singh Sekhon and the Congress candidate Mangat Rai Bansal (sitting MLA) were in the poll fray, the cell received the minimum number of complaints (14). Besides these three segments, the cell received 25 complaints each from Bhucho and Bathinda (Rural) constituencies and 31 complaints from Talwandi Sabo constituency. The cell also received 18 other complaints from the district.

Out of 293 complaints, the cell received 69 complaints through the internet, 78 through telephone and 146 through other means.

Bathinda, February 2
To create awareness among the masses about eye donation and make eye donation a mass movement, a city-based NGO, Bathinda Vikas Manch, will observe ‘Eye Donation Awareness Week’ starting February 5 in the city.

During the week, from February 5 to February 12, a programme, regarding eye donation awareness, will be organised across the city, including Beant Nagar, and the Central Jail.

President of the NGO, Rakesh Narula, said during the awareness programmes, the organisers would get the pledge forms filled from the eye donors. Besides, they would also disseminate the message, regarding eye care, among the people. They would also ask the eye specialists, including Dr Amrit Sethi, to deliver lecturers on eye care, he added.

Narula further said during the awareness week, visually-impaired persons of the city will be examined and the NGO would maintain a record of those visually-impaired persons who could see after getting the cornea of a donor transplanted in their eyes.

Narula also said those who wanted to fill the pledge forms for donating their eyes, could contact him on his mobile phone number 98555-89505. He also appealed to the people to fill the pledge forms so that the visually-impaired persons could also see the world.

He added that there were 1.5 crore visually-impaired persons in India. Of these, as many as 18 lakhs were such persons who could see after eye transplant. He said considering this a large number of people should pledge to donate their eyes.

He said the persons, who wanted to fill the pledge forms, could also contact Yoga expert Radhey Shayam Bansal.

Bathinda, February 2
Three persons were killed in an accident that took place on the Bathinda-Malout road at around 2 pm here today. The deceased included an infant and a woman.

The car that the victims were travelling in collided with an Army vehicle on the stretch near village Behman Diwana-Balluana road.

A family from Sajawal village was bound for Malout in a car while the army vehicle was coming from the Gidderbaha side. The woman, Gurpreet Kaur, was travelling with her brother Chamkaur Singh, an year-old daughter Jashandeep Kaur and paternal uncle's son Manjinder Singh.

The car occupants, Gurpreet Kaur, Manjinder Singh and Jashandeep Kaur, died on the spot.

Sources said the Army men brought all the three bodies to the Civil Hospital in Bathinda. Chamkaur Singh was also brought to the hospital as he had sustained injuries in his right hand. He is undergoing treatment. The driver of the car, Ajit Singh, was admitted at a private hospital.

Sadar police station authorities said they were investigating the incident. No case was registered till the filing of this report.

Bathinda, February 2
One person was killed while another was seriously injured in separate mishaps.

In his complaint to the cantonment police, Gurjit Singh, a resident of Kotfatta, stated that he and one Mandar Singh, a resident of Bhucho Khurd, were coming back from Bibiwala village on a motorcycle. When they reached near the ITBP centre on the Bibiwala road, a tractor rammed into their motorcycle killing Mandar Singh on the spot.

The police has have booked a case against the driver of tractor Gora Singh, a resident of Gobindpura.

In another mishap that occurred near Street No 7 of Guru Gobind Nagar on the Barnala road here today, a motorbike-borne Gagan Kirmani, a resident of Paras Ram Nagar, sustained injuries in his legs when he suddenly applied brakes of the bike and a car following him hit the bike from behind. He was rushed to the Civil Hospital where doctors referred him to a hospital in Ludhiana. — TNS

Bathinda, February 2
The effect of partial cloudiness was palpable today almost throughout the day as sun kept on playing hide and seek besides the minimum temperature also shot up.

The day’s low recorded at 7.30 in the morning was 8.4 degrees Celsius, nearly 4 degrees higher than yesterday, as per the agri-met department of the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), regional station, Bathinda.

Today's minimum temperature was highest minimum temperature of the recent past.

The day's high was 19.8 degrees Celsius, similar to that of Wednesday.

Though the temperature climbed, complete respite from the cold continued to elude city as wind in the absence of sun forced the residents to remain indoors.

It may be mentioned here that weathermen had predicted on Tuesday about the possibility of partial cloudiness in some parts of the region in the next two to three days.

The night temperature is also likely to increase during the period.

Bathinda, February 2
The postal ballot papers sent to the voters of Bathinda, presently posted in different parts of the country, have started returning.

After receiving the ballot papers, the postal department here has also started handing over the same to their respective office of the Returning Officers (ROs) in Bathinda for counting that is scheduled for March 6.

Sources said that over 3,900 articles were booked through registry at the Head Post Office, Bathinda, to be sent to the voters of the area belonging to the different wings of the armed forces.

The postal ballot papers were dispatched to the voters on January 17 and 18, sources in the postal department said.

Postal sources said that the exact number of ballot papers received till date could not be ascertained.

Sources also said that many of the postal ballot papers returned as receiver could not be located. They might have been transferred or retired from the services, sources said.

Bathinda, February 2
Raj Jaswinder Singh, a resident of Guru Gobind Singh Nagar here, has been booked for getting his job with the Commandant, First India Reserve Battalion, on the basis of a fake certificate.

In his complaint to the SSP Bathinda, the commandant of the First India Reserve Battalion, Patiala, stated that Raj Jaswinder was appointed as a temporary sepoy with the battalion. When his educational qualification certificates were sent for verification, his matriculation certificate was found to be fake. Thermal police station SHO Darshan Singh said Raj was recruited around an year ago. No arrests have been made so far. — TNS