Bathinda, March 28
A Bathinda-touching train was cancelled while at least three others were affected today due to the bandh. Railway sources said the train no. 54551 Ambala-Bathinda passenger was cancelled.

Sources added that train no. 54642 Ferozepur-Delhi passenger was running four hours and 40 minutes behind its schedule. Instead of leaving the Ferozepur junction at 11.30 am, the train left at 4.10 pm.

The train no. 54046 Ferozepur-Jind passenger was running about two hours behind its schedule.

The train no. 54758 Sriganganagar-Ambala passenger left Bathinda station at 3.25 pm, about an hour behind its schedule.

The railways regulated the train at Bathinda station as a safety measure as the protestors squatted on tracks at the level crossing number 117-A, near Rampura Phul, sources added.

The railway officials remained on their toes throughout the day at Bathinda station to ensure the safety of the passengers.

Bathinda, March 28
Anticipating closure of markets on Wednesday, Bathinda residents played prudent and stocked up on items of daily consumption.

A day prior to the bandh, on Tuesday night, the vegetable and fruit markets were bustling with activity till 10. “I went out to get milk at around 9.30 on Tuesday night, and surprisingly, I managed to get milk packets that late in the night,” said 19-year-old Raman Singla, a resident of Vishal Nagar.

“I kept the shop open on Tuesday till 10.30 in the night. And expecting that the markets would be closed on Wednesday, customers came in till 10,” said a milk vendor near Teenkoni.

“I couldn’t manage to buy milk and vegetables on Wednesday morning as in addition to the local market, the departmental stores were also closed. Even the local milkman didn’t deliver milk on Wednesday,” said Saurabh Agarwal, a resident of Nai Basti.

As customers bought milk, fruits and vegetables in advance, it gave a golden opportunity to the vegetable and fruit vendors to hike the prices. Bananas, which till Monday were being sold for `40 per dozen, were beign sold for `50 per dozen on Tuesday evening. The same was the case with other fruits like papaya and American apples, the rates of which had been hiked by Rs 10 and Rs 20, respectively.

Bathinda, March 28
The Excise Department today earned `2.4 crores from 1112 applications received for the auctioning of the liquor vends. Fifty-five contractors got the contracts of 521 liquor vends in Bathinda district today. Government will earn `137.83 crores from these vends.

The city was divided into four zones including Bus Stand, Canal, Bibi Wala Chowk and railway station.

Except the railway station where 60 to 70 different persons got the contract, the other zones were dominated by influential individuals.

Local liquor contractor, Harish Kumar of Scotch and Scotch, said unlike last year, fewer people had applied for the vends. He blamed the increased excise duty as the reason behind the low turnout of the contractors this time. He said excise duty had been increased from Rs 179 per proof litre to `196 this time.

“Three years ago, the amount to be recovered by the excise department was `64 crores which has now increased to nearly `138 crores,” he said.

Assistant Excise and Taxation Commissioner, Pawan Garg, said vends were allotted during a draw of lots and the entire process was completed without any untoward incident.

Bathinda Deputy Commissioner, Kamal Kishore Yadav, and SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill were present during the auctioning, which was held at a marriage palace on the Barnala road. The entire auction procedure was recorded and put on display for everyone on an LCD.

The department officials said the vends have been auctioned for the period April 1 2012 to March 31, 2013.

Those who failed to get a vend will get the refund of the security fees but the application fees would not be returned. The department officials said the government has earned `2.4 crores through the application fees. A total of 1112 applications were received by the department for the auction.

Bathinda, March 28
After the recovery of five abandoned female foetuses and newborn babies in the past two and half months in the city, the body of a newborn boy was found today near the canal adjoining the Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant.

President of the city-based NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa, Vijay Goyal said a passerby informed the NGO about the body. The volunteers of the NGO rushed to the spot and brought the matter to the notice of the police.

It seems that the child was barely one or two days old. He said the body would be taken to the Civil Hospital for post-mortem. The police officials said a case would be registered in this regard.

Bathinda, March 28
To create awareness among the people against cruelty to animals, a local NGO, ‘People for Animals Society’, has launched an awareness campaign by starting the screening of films on animals in the city.

Besides, the NGO has also started a signature campaign to protect the animals from cruelty.

As part of the awareness campaign, a few days ago, the NGO screened a video film in Hindi for the first time at the Basant Bihar Colony here.

The video film has been provided to the NGO by a renowned organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), Mumbai. The PETA has also promised to the NGO to provide more films on animals for screening them in the city.

The NGO showed the film on a 4’x6’ screen with a projector, especially purchased for the purpose. It is a 30-minute video film, in which film actors, Jackie Shrrof and John Abraham, have worked.

In the film, it has been shown how human beings misbehave with the animals or injure them. It has also been shown how people pollute the water due to which the birds or animals suffer.

The film also conveys a message that there is a need to understand the feeling of the animals as they also help them during hard times or any trouble.

President of the NGO, People for Animals Society, Bathinda, Gaurav Goyal said the society had started showing the films on animals from March 25.

He said they had organised one show so far while more shows would be conducted in April, including one at the local Rose Garden. He said they had also planned to show the films on animals in schools and religious places to inculcate the spirit, regarding protection of animals, among the students and the common masses, and involve them in the cause.

Goyal said at the end of the film on animals, shown on March 25, they also collected signatures from about 125 persons with the pledge that they would protect the animals and birds.

Besides, they were also advised to serve grains to the birds and water in the bowls on their rooftops. They were also asked to serve water to the stray animals during summers.

He said they would also screen such films, in which, it would be shown that how people committed atrocities on the animals and misbehaved with them.

He also flayed those people who abandoned their pet animals when they (animals) become old. He also said in the months to come, they would also screen the films in the big parks of the city so that cruelty to the animals could be curbed.

Bathinda, March 28
Punjab’s only sports school — the Government Sports School, Ghudda in Bathinda — is all set to commence its second session as the selection trial for 45 new entrants for admission in class VI of the school, has been completed.

Nearly 1,000 aspirants mostly from the rural areas from across the state, exhibited their sporting potentials during the two-day selection trial which concluded at the Multi-purpose Sports Stadium in Bathinda on Tuesday. Nearly 300 aspirants took part on the second day of the trial, said principal of the school Dr Gurdeep Singh Sidhu.

The principal added that the process to select the 45 students had almost completed. “Besides announcing the names of the successful candidates, the selected students would be informed telephonically as well,” the principal of the residential school said.

A 16-member selection panel of Director (Sports) selected the students for soccer, hockey, volleyball, basketball, athletics, kabaddi, wrestling and boxing. The new session is likely to begin in the first week of April, probably on April 2.

The principal said the response was more this year as compared to last year. In the first session last year, students were selected for the class VI, VII and VIII. The students are given diet, sporting kits, uniforms, medical facility and other required facilities free-of-cost at the school.

Bathinda, March 28
Police have arrested a person with large quantities of habit-forming drugs near Maur Kalan.

Bathinda, March 28
The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd, in collaboration with the local Centre of St. John Ambulance Association, organised a seven-day training programme on first aid at their oil depot at Phoos Mandi. About 20 employees of the depot took part in it. Lectures on various topics were delivered by Naresh Pathania, first aid trainer, St. John Ambulance.

On the last day of the programme, PK Srivastva, manager (OPS) in-charge and deputy manager Varinder Singh of the BPCL, appealed to the workers to create maximum awareness. — TNS