Bathinda, May 1
After losing thirty-one antlers to stray dogs a week ago, a forest department team today launched operation Dog Hunt.

Laced with tranquilizers and torches, the department officials had caught four dogs by 8 pm and planned to continue the operation till 6 am, till just before the dawn.

Divisional forest officer, SP Anand, said the canines were being targetted with tranquilizers and then would be rehabilitated before being set free. “Chief wildlife warden had sent two experts from Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park at Chhatbir, Banur. Both are experts on operating tranquilizers to catch canines,” said Anand.

One of the employees, John, is an expert at operating shot gun, while Ramdev is an expert at operating long guns.

Earlier in the day, 20 to 25 labourers and a team of forest department officials had tried to find canines in the deer park area. Unable to find any, the entire team moved towards the outer forest area where Operation Dog Hunt was launched.

Anand said the canines would be traced the whole night and the operation would end at 6 am. “Depending on the results, we would continue with the operation on Wednesday night too,” he said.

Securing its boundary, the park authorities today plugged 15 gaping holes in the boundary wall. The construction of main gate has been completed on a war footing.

Forest officials said flood- lights could not be installed in the park as deer were shy animals and would find it difficult to live in glaring light in the after-dark hours. All the staff members, permanent as well as daily wagers, had been given torches.

Going a step ahead, the department has recruited five more persons. Swaran Singh has been posted as the forest ranger officer, while Harjit has been posted as the forest guard. Similarly, two more watchmen have been deputed who would guard the enclosures of the animals.

The post of the gatekeeper had been lying vacant for some time now, which has been filled today.

Bathinda, May 1
A relic from the Harappan civilization, coins from the medieval period, and lots more is what you can get to see when you visit the museum at the Central University of Punjab (CUP) in Bathinda.

The university came up with the idea of setting up the museum a couple of months back and noted historian, Subhash Parihar, who holds a PhD in Mughal architecture in Punjab (1526-1707), became the curator for the same.

Showing the photographs, representing the history of Bathinda, on display at the museum, Parihar proudly reveals that the photographs are from his personal collection. He has been clicking the photographs for more than 30 years now.

As you enter the museum, a photograph of an inscription stone demands your attention. “The inscription on the stone has only been partially deciphered. When archaeologist HBW Garrick came to Bathinda in the year 1872, someone gifted him this stone. At that time, Pakistan was a part of India and Garrick gave the stone to the Lahore Museum. The stone has been lying there since then.

“The inscription mentions the ancient name of the Bathinda city as Tribhandanapura and its ruler as Shtrughanadeva,” explains Parihar.

The museum also has an aerial view of the Bathinda Fort, captured from Google Earth. There are also photographs of the fort from the year 1906 to the present. These photographs show how the parts of the fort, owing to poor upkeep, have been coming down. The four corner watch towers, that were used to keep an eye on the movements in all the four directions, are not there any more. Similar is the case of the western wall of the fort, which came crumbling down a couple of years back.

Also displayed in the museum are the photographs, dated 1985, of the tomb of Baba Haji Ratan, showing the five precious Persian inscriptions that used to be a part of the monument but which are not there any more.

There is also a photograph of the Janamsakhi showing the meeting between Baba Haji Ratan and Guru Nanak Dev. “This meeting couldn’t have been possible since both the personalities lived in different time periods, but the Janamsakhi shows it happening,” explains Parihar.

Talking about the Marwari architectural splendours of the haveli of Seth Bhana Mal in Bathinda, he says, “When the rulers of Bathinda invited the Marwari traders to the city, these traders brought along their architectural techniques, which are evident in the Havelis of Seth Bhana Mal and Seth Sohan Lala. The carved lintels show the Raasleela.”

The collection of coins is also something that is worth a careful watch. The coins, again from Parihar’s personal collection, date back to the Medieval period. The collection has coins from the mid-20th century as well as coins from foreign countries.

Another section of the museum has been dedicated to the archaeological finds that were unearthed during the excavation work across Punjab and parts of Rajasthan. A huge mortar stone is prominently displayed in this section. The stone, which dates back to the Harappan civilization, was found at Lakhmirewala in district Mansa.

The collection includes pieces of earthern pottery, bangles, beads and other ornaments. These have been collected from sites including Rohira, Bras, Lakhmirewala, Dhalewan, Marar and Kalibangan (in Rajasthan). The models, of the main campus of the CUP, to be built over 500 acres of land, submitted by various contractors, have also been put on display at the museum.

Despite the fact that a walk around the museum can make one return richer with knowledge about the history of Bathinda, the museum hasn’t been registering a good footfall of visitors. The distance of the university campus from the main city may be one of the factors.

Parihar says, “Although all the students of the university have visited the museum, the number of outsiders visiting the museum has been low. The museum is frequented by guests who come to attend the CUP functions.”

Bathinda, may 1
It may sound strange but it is true.

Though as many as 42,661 households in the Bathinda district have been issued job cards under the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), only 184 households completed 100 days’ work in the year 2011-12 in the district.

Out of the 42,661 households, only 18,664 had demanded employment in the year while employment was provided to 18,605 households till March-end.

Out of 184 households that had completed 100 days’ work in the year, the maximum number of households was from Nathana block of the district, in which 49 households (out of 2,300 that had been given employment) had completed 100 days' work in the year while the minimum number was from Maur block in which only eight households (out of 1947) had completed 100 days' work.

In Talwandi Sabo block, 28 households (out of 2,681), in Phul block 24 households (out of 1472), in Bathinda block, 21 households (out of 3642), in Bhagta Bhai Ka block, 20 households (out of 2075), in Rampura block, 19 households (out of 1733) and in Sangat block, 15 households (out of 2755), had completed the 100 days' work.

Sources in the Zila Parishad told Bathinda Tribune that there might be some other reasons for not demanding work under the MGNREGS by the households or not completing 100 days’ work in a year despite providing work to them. But there are two apparent reasons due to which the labourers did not prefer to work under the MGNREGS.

Sources further said the first reason was that under the MGNREGS, the daily wage for a labourer was less as compared to the wages that he got in the construction of buildings etc in the urban or semi-urban areas. For example, the daily wages of a labourer, working under MGNREGS, were just Rs 123 earlier and later Rs 155 and now Rs 166 whereas in the urban and semi-urban areas the labourer got Rs 200 to Rs 225 daily.

The second reason was that many a time, the MGNREGS workers did not get wages for months together due to which they preferred to work in the urban or semi-urban areas where they got wages daily in the evening.

They said the Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme would prove fruitful for the weaker sections of society provided the government ensures wages for them, equal to the market rates, besides making arrangements for the payment of their wages to them daily, in place of delaying it at different levels for months.

Bathinda, May 1
May Day was celebrated at the Focal Point today wherein district and sessions judge and chairman, District Legal Services Authority, SK Aggarwal, presided over the function.

Addressing around 250 workers of different industrial units, SK Aggarwal said labourers were major contributors in the development of the nation. "Labourers play a vital role in shaping the country and they should not be bereft of basic facilities and should be empowered," he added.

He beckoned the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the district to educate the children of these labourers to save the young from getting caught in the vicious cycle of poverty. He also talked about awakening the poor to secure their rights.

Aggarwal also called upon the labourers to shun drugs and distance themselves from disaster and untimely death. He also told them about the Lok Adalat, wherein disputes could be settled amicably without spending money. He distributed anti-drug literature and fruits among the labourers.

Additional sessions judge Gurbir Singh, civil judge, senior division, Harinder Kaur Sidhu and chief judicial magistrate Bathinda Harjit Singh were also present on the occasion.

Bathinda, May 1
Rakesh Kumar and Om Prakah, residents of Goniana Mandi, were killed in an accident near village Amargarh on Monday.

The incident took place when the victims were moving from Bathinda to Goniana Mandi. When they reached near village Amargarh, a speeding vehicle hit their motorcycle, killing them on the spot.

Bathinda, May 1
Badku Ram, a resident of Cheem Farm House, Mansa road, has lodged a complaint with the police about his missing son, Ram Pal.