Police personnel hold back one of the residents of the area. The residents were protesting against the dumping of city's sewage in their neighbourhood

Fact file

• BIT plans to build multi-storey flats and shop-cum-flats on 11.78 acres of area of the pond. In its meeting held on August 2, 2010, the Improvement Trust had passed a resolution that the land would be used to develop this project. On October 28, 2011, a blueprint of the project was developed and now the Trust has issued land acquisition notice.
• Pond is spread over mere 5-6 acres of the 11.78 acres of land. The rest of the area is covered by houses built in Chandsar Basti and Kanhaiya Nagar after filling the pond. Some of the land is included in DAV College’s building and playground. As per a survey of the Trust, the area encroached includes around 20 houses and land under DAV College.

Bathinda, May 10
Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav said keeping in view the coming monsoon, the priority of the administration was to ensure that rain water does not trouble people.

“Bathinda city has a bowl-shaped topography wherein rain water stagnates and has to be pumped out. We should understand that the city needs natural sewer and storm water reservoirs. Like Sanjay Basti and Amarpura Basti ponds, water would be pumped out from here,” he said.

Talking about the claims of DAV management, he said the management does not have substantial evidence to support its claim over the said piece of land. He added that even the protesting people are encroachers and do not have any legal sanctity. He said the BIT plan for multi-storey and SCFs would be reviewed keeping in mind the plan’s feasibility.

Bathinda, May 10
Despite the recent terror threat to the oil depots and Bathinda refinery and deployment of heavy police force in the city and surrounding areas, there seems to be no check on the use of tinted glasses on the vehicles in the city.

The police officials said they had been told not to issue challans to such violators, as people are still not aware of the issue and need to be sensitised about the same.

The criminals, however, manage to carry out various criminal activities by taking advantage of the lackadaisical attitude of the police by using tint beyond the permissible limit.

An incharge of one of the police stations in the city stated that instructions have been received from senior police functionaries not to issue challan to vehicles using black films.

When TNS contacted Bathinda SSP, Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, he admitted releasing instructions about not issue challans and letting the owner off with a warning. The SSP claimed that since not many people were aware of the facts about the use of black films, they have been given two days to remove the films from their vehicles.

“Tomorrow is the last day of warning and after that police will launch a drive and begin issuing challans on the use of black films. There will be no use of illegal black films as the tint has to go under the hammer ultimately,” the SSP added.

Expressing concern over the connection between the rising criminal activities and the use of black films for windscreens and side glasses of vehicles, the Supreme Court had put a ban on it.

The traffic policemen are supposed to issue challans to those having the tint beyond the permissible limit. They said that 105 challans had been issued in April for not wearing helmet, 255 for using mobile phone while driving and 80 challans for wrong parking and others.

The city traffic police in-charge, Ranjeet Singh, claimed that 10 challans, out of a total of 1,018, were issued to the vehicles using black films during the month of April.

He added that most of the challans were of `100 only and they failed to trace the second time violators. “People usually do not mind paying `100 and flout norms again after a few days. The amount of challan should be increased so that it pinches the violators,” said a traffic policeman deployed at a busy intersection of the city.

Bathinda, May 10
The local Civil Hospital has not been fulfilling the norms of Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) as far as its staff strength is concerned.

As per the norms of the IPHS, chalked out by the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry, the hospital does not have several sanctioned posts. Besides, the civil hospital has also been facing shortage of doctors and staff nurses at present.

As per the IPHS norms, in a 51-100 bed hospital, there should be 31 doctors of all branches of the medical science while there are only 18 sanctioned posts of the doctor in the civil hospital here. Of them, 16 have been working these days.

The norms also say a 51-100 bed hospital must have one hospital superintendent, two medical specialists, two surgery specialists, two O&G specialists, one dermatologist/venereologist, two pediatricians, two anesthetists, one ENT surgeon, one ophthalmologist, one orthopedician, two radiologists, nine casualty doctors (emergency medical officers), one dental surgeon, one public health manager, one forensic expert, two Ayush physicians and one pathologist.

Sources in the civil hospital told this reporter that as per the official records, the civil hospital did not have several sanctioned posts. These posts included those for hospital superintendent, dermatologist/venereologist, ENT surgeon, orthopedician, public health manager and forensic expert.

Besides, there were some other sanctioned posts which were less in numbers as compared to the sanctioned strength, as per the IPHS norms. For example, there were only three sanctioned posts of casualty doctor (Emergency medical officer) in the civil hospital, while these should be nine, they added.

Sources further said at present, the following doctors had been working on sanctioned posts in the civil hospital here: a senior medical officer (SMO), a medical specialist, a surgery specialist, two O&G specialists, an ophthalmologist, two emergency medical officers, a dental surgeon and a pathologist, while the remaining were medical officers (MOs). Besides, the radiologist had been absent from duty for a long time, they added.

It may be mentioned here that the civil hospital has 29 sanctioned posts of the staff nurse but only 18 staff nurses have been working nowadays while the remaining 11 posts have been lying vacant so far. As per the IPHS norms, at least 30 posts of the staff nurse should filled in the 51-100 bed hospital.

Bathinda, May 10
Worried parents of many students who missed the deadline for registration for the entrance exams for various post-graduate courses at Panjab University, Chandigarh, are demanding that the University extend the deadline by at least five-ten days.

While the last date of availability of the O-CET (Other Common Entrance Tests) prospectus and application form on the website of the university was March 30, 2012, the last date for submission of information on the website to generate the bank challan was May 1.

Prof Rishi Raj from the Government Rajindra College said, “My daughter, who is appearing for the final year examination of her graduation course, missed out on applying for the online registration. The university advertised about it when the students were preparing for their exams. The entire system is online. Many students from the rural areas also missed filling for the registration process since they are not very tech-savvy. We wish the university extends the date by a few days.”

Prof HS Arora, HOD (English) at DAV College, Bathinda, said, “The university closed the registration process even before the final year exams for the under graduation courses got over. Many students, mainly from the rural areas, do not have access to internet and are not very well-versed with internet. How does the university expect them to apply?”

A senior official at the Panjab University, while speaking to TNS on the condition of anonymity, said, “The University had advertised about the entrance exam registrations well in advance. Nowhere does it say that the students sitting for their final year exams can’t register for these. Those who are appearing for the exams must have made up their mind about what they want to do after graduation. They should have been careful about the important dates.”

“We expect the students taking up post graduation courses to know internet usage. It’s just an alibi that the students from rural areas are not tech-savvy. Those who were serious about their post-graduation studies have already registered. As far as the extension of the date goes, it is done only in case of a genuine reason and this is not one.”

The OCET entrance tests will be held between June 16 and June 19 and the results may be declared between July 5 and July 11.

Bathinda, May 10
Bathinda Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni today visited the Civil Hospital, Rampura, and the Community Health Centre (CHC), Mehraj.

He inspected both the health institutions and directed the doctors, pharmacists and staff nurses to wear uniform (coat, apron) and pin a badge, containing their name and designation, on the uniform daily so that every visiting person could know about the identity of the staff.

The Civil Surgeon also asked the staff members to deal with the patients in a polite manner while performing their duties.

He also asked the staff to make proper sitting arrangements for the patients and their attendants at the health centres. Besides, the patients should also be provided medicines available in the hospital's dispensary, he added.

Dr Sahni also directed the staff to keep the wards and laboratories clean so that the patients do not face any inconvenience.

He also asked the hospital authorities to get the iron beds and stools etc painted.

Bathinda Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni also directed the senior medical officer (SMO) of the CHC, Mehraj, to hold meetings with the Sarpanches and the Panches from the area to impart them information about the medical facilities, being provided by the government, so that more people could derive benefit from the health institutions.

Dr Sahni also warned the health authorities of the hospitals in case the functioning did not improve in the hospitals by June 30 then strict action would be taken.

The Civil Surgeon also asked the doctors that all the discrepancies that had come to his notice today, should be removed.

Deputy Medical Commissioner (DMC) Dr Vinod Garg also accompanied the Civil Surgeon.

Bathinda, May 10
Demanding the development of areas situated beyond the railway tracks having a population of nearly 80,000, municipal councillor, Jagroop Singh Gill and the president of the block Congress committee Bathinda-II, Mohan Lal Jhumba besides other residents of the area, met the senior officials of the corporation today.

The delegation apprised the commissioner that sewerage laying work was underway in the trans-railway line localities and the work was to be completed by February this year.

Further, the residents of Lal Singh Basti road, Multania road and Gurukul Road were told that the roads would be re-laid and made functional by March 31. "But the deadline has been extended to June now, which is a breach of the public's trust in the corporation," said Gill.

Mmbers of the delegation said the areas of Lal Singh Basti, Preet Nagar, Dasmesh Nagar, Amarpura Basti, Multania Road, Jogi Nagar, Gopal Nagar, Gurukul Basti and Arjun Nagar face the problem of bad roads.

In the places, where sewer has been laid, the roads have not been repaired. Consequently, the school vans and buses are unable to reach the doors of the students. The young school- children have to be picked or escorted for one or two kms, where the school vehicles stop.

"In case of medical emergency, one cannot get taxi or any other vehicle from nearby areas. Even the rickshaw pullers charge more to drop one home," added Jhumba.

The delegates demanded that in areas such as street number 4, 5 and 6 of Guru Nanak Nagar and the street opposite them, sewer was yet to be laid. Similarly, in areas of Amarpura Basti and main Multania road, the sewer has not been laid. Similarly, there is no water and sewerage facility in streets number 24 to 37 of Paras Ram Nagar.

All the trans-railway line areas are getting water supply from tubewells, which is unfit for human consumption. The residents demanded that canal water should be supplied to them.

The delegates suggested that instant relief be provided in areas where sewer has already been laid such as on main Multania road, street number 3 of Lal Singh Basti and Gurukul road.

The roads in these areas should be laid with bricks to allow immediate movement of traffic, which has been stalled for long. "Or the 20 feet wide Bikaner railway line crossing's floor should be laid and these areas be sprinkled with water daily to avoid inconvenience to public due to dust,” he said.

Jagroop Singh Gill said that the corporation had been given 15 days to accept the demands. “If our demands are not accepted, we will be forced to stage a dharna and the corporation would be responsible for any breach of law and order,” he said.

Bathinda, May 10
The three-day Vatavaran Utsav — natural farming and environment festival— to be held at the Teachers’ Home from May 11 to May 13, would serve food for thought as well as for the body to the visitors and the participants.

An initiative wherein civil society groups of different section have been involved, the fest promises to be a far cry from the fashion-environment phenomena that is rampant these days.

Preparations were in full swing today at the Teachers' Home, which would be abuzz with activities. On the platter would be a dosage of debates, discussions, seminars, workshops and other such things as food for thought, while the traditional Bebe Di Rasoi would provide food for the belly.

A picture exhibition, dedicated to victims of Bhopal Gas Tragedy, from the lens of ace cameraman Raghu Rai, would be open for public on all the three days.

Punjab Technical University vice-chancellor Dr Rajneesh Arora would inaugurate the fest tomorrow.

Bathinda, May 10
The team of computer department of Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda, has secured first position in state at the recently held state level competition of inter-polytechnic technical fest.

Team members including students Imanpreet Kaur, Sukhmanpreet Kaur, Manjit Kaur and Pooja presented their project under the category “website on traffic education” and secured the first place.

At this sixth technical fest of Punjab Technical Institutes’ Sports (PTIS) held at CT Polytechnic College, Shahpur, students from polytechnic colleges all over the state participated.

Principal Yadwinder Singh said the students developed the software that educates students in different aspects of traffic rules.

“Now that the government has conferred college principals with the right to issue learners’ driving licence to students, we plan to use this software for educating our children when they are issued licences,” he said.

Training and placement officer, Manjit Bhullar, added that the institute plans to upload the entire project on its website www.gpcbathinda.org so that others can also gain benefit from it.

All the winners were felicitated today. He said besides this team, five other teams too have bagged laurels at the same technical fest. He congratulated the head of computer department, RK Chopra and others who worked on the project.

Secretary SRC Sanjiv Goyal, computer department lecturers Navdeep Singhm Sushil Kumar and Gurbinder Kaur were also present at the occasion.

Bathinda, May 10
Leading fashion footwear retailer, Metro Shoes, today launched its first store in Bathinda. Targeted at the entire family, the product range, it is claimed, will feature style, quality and the latest international trends that appeals to all age-groups.

"Customers today are looking for exclusive options. Metro Shoes gives them an opportunity to shop for all their needs under one roof” said Jairaj Kapoor, Regional Manager, Metro Shoes. To celebrate the opening, a 20 per cent discount on all in-house brands and 10 per cent discount on international brands was announced on Friday and Saturday.

The outlet is located opposite Zila Parishad, Goniana road. — TNS