Bathinda, May 23
With the news about a steep hike of Rs 7.50 in the price of petrol from midnight airing on all news channels, all roads led to the fuel stations in the city this evening.

A number of people started queuing up at fuel stations, engaging in verbal duels with each other to get their tanks filled before the price hike.

After around 6:30 pm, when the news about the petrol hike first broke, hundreds of people leaving their shops, business establishments and other work stations drove to the nearest fuel station to avail of the time before midnight. Within a few minutes, long queues leading up to the roads were seen at a number of fuel stations across the city.

At a few pumps, the owners had even directed their staff not to fill the tank of any vehicle with petrol worth more than `100. However, there was no effect on the supply of diesel.

At a fuel station near Teenkoni chowk, Vikram Bansal, who had come to fill the tank of his motorcycle said, “The UPA government has taken a wrong decision. It will add extra burden to the budget of a middle class family. After the increase in price of petrol, it would be available at almost `80 per litre in the city. It is not easy for everyone to shell out so much for a litre of petrol.”

Similarly, another commuter Gurpreet Singh said, “The prices of all essential commodities and fuel are increasing day by day. The government must try to control the inflation. Even if the UPA leaders had no option but to incrrease the price, they should have increased it a little, instead of this steep hike. Increasing the petrol price by `7.50 at one go is a bad decision. The government and its policy makers will have to pay for it in the coming parliamentary elections.”

Meanwhile, the commuters even alleged that some fuel stations had stopped the sale of petrol, in an attempt to mint extra profit on their existing stock by selling it post midnight.

The prices of diesel would remain same at Rs 39.84.

Bathinda, May 23
The Punjabi University, Patiala, has announced that from the academic session 2012-13, the students aspiring to take admission in the university will have the facility to register online for admission. The decision has been taken as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the University.

In an announcement made recently, the University declared that the students seeking admission for the academic session 2012-13 will be able to apply online from the comforts of their residence or a place near to their residence using the internet.

The University will help the applicants in the process of applying for admission. Apart from applying online for admission, the aspirants will also be able to keep a tab on the status of their applications. The online admission process will be operative shortly.

Talking to Tribune News Service over the phone, Dean (Academic Affairs, Punjabi University, Patiala) SS Tiwana, said, “The University decided to go ahead with beginning the online admission process as it felt that making the admission process online was the need of the hour.”

“Almost all the universities have online admission processes. The online admission process will also reduce the expenditure incurred by the University in advertising separately for all the courses. This will also make the admission process cheaper for the students as they will not have to travel to register for admission,” he added.

Although the University is starting the online admission process, the physical admission process will also continue. “Since this is the first year of the online admission process, we will also keep the physical admission process open to avoid confusion and inconvenience to the aspirants,” said SS Tiwana.

Bathinda, May 23
Punjabi University campus, Maur, is going to add B.Com (Professional) course from the academic session 2012-13. Dr Jaspal Singh, vice-chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, had already given a commitment at the annual function held in March 2012. Now, the university has given permission to start the course.

B.Com. (Professional) differs from the ordinary B.Com. It is more practical and imparts knowledge in communication skills, personality development, managerial skills, seminars and workshops on computers, etc. After one year of the course, there is compulsory summer training with a chartered accountant for 4-6 weeks regarding bank dealings, vouching and verification of accounts, income tax returns, sales tax/VAT returns, etc.

Furthermore, the course is based on the semester system. Dr DK Madaan, principal of the campus, said, “There is a great demand for commerce in the business and job market at Maur Mandi and nearby areas of the Malwa region. The campus will offer 60 seats for the new course.” — TNS

Bathinda, May 23
While Bathinda boy Anish Jindal brought laurels to the city by securing the first rank in the Punjab pre-medical entrance test (PMET), Komal Rajoria and Dipanshu Mittal, both students from Bathinda, also performed splendidly well in the exam by securing the 10th and 24th rank respectively.

While Komal was attending coaching classes at the Harbhajan Institute of Competition in the city, Dipanshu was taking tuitions from individual teachers for various subjects.

Dipanshu has already been shortlisted in AIPMT, Banaras Hindu University, Banaras and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College and Safdarjung Hospital, Delhi.

Dipanshu, son of Dr Vijay Mittal, an orthopaedic surgeon at the local Civil Hospital, credited his parents for his success and said he was expecting to secure a rank within the first 30.

He added that he was not celebrating his success yet as he was preparing for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) entrance test, to be held on June 1.

Child specialist at the Civil Hospital, Dr Satish Jindal, told the Tribune News Service that he got a call from the office of the Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, congratulating him for his son’s success.

“My son, Anish, has secured the first rank in the Punjab PMET. The PA to the CM called me this evening and congratulated me. The CM also spoke to me and congratulated me for my son’s achievement," said an elated Dr Jindal.

Punjab PMET is conducted by in by the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot.

Bathinda, May 23
The BJP finally announced Madhu Gargi, wife of ex-corporator Purshottam Gargi, as its candidate for the by-elections of Ward 6 of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) to be held on June 7.

With the announcement of Madhu as the BJP candidate to contest the elections, most of the party’s leaders have started saying that the party has taken the right decision of giving its ticket to the wife of Purshottam Gargi, who died last year due to a severe paralysis attack.

“The sympathy factor will work in her favour. But, there are a lot of issues to be redressed. Whosoever wins the elections, he/she will have to work for the development of the area and regularise the water supply, besides other things,” said a local resident, Amit Kumar.

It may be mentioned here that apart from Madhu, Kulwant Singh Poohla, Surinder Goyal, Balwant Bahia and Sriram Goyal had also sought the ticket to contest the elections.

The residents also said the BJP would have to take all its claimants along to win the elections.

“Though the BJP may think of winning easily in the ward, resting assured of reaping returns on the overall development of the city carried out by them, having their own Mayor and the state government, they will have to work hard to win this seat,” said another resident of the ward.

However, Gulshan Wadhwa, district president BJP (Urban), said, “Our focus has always been on the development of the area and will remain the same in the future too. We will seek votes in the name of development.”

The Congress had yesterday announced Iqbal Singh Dhillon ‘Babli’ as its candidate. Babli has been saying that once elected, he would raise the voice of public.

Bathinda, May 23
An unidentified man was found lying dead under mysterious circumstances at the platform number 4 of Bathinda railway station today.

Volunteers of the city-based NGO, Sahara Jan Sewa said the man must have been about 55 years old and was wearing just a single piece of cloth on his body and seemed to have died due to heatstroke.

The body was sent to a local hospital to conduct a postmortem and the police started inquest proceedings under the section 174 of the CrPC in this regard.

This is not the first instance when a body of an unidentified man has been found lying at the Bathinda railway station.

In the recent past too, NGO volunteers were informed a number of times about dead bodies being found at the railway station.

Bathinda, May 23
The temperature is hovering around 43 degree Celsius in the city and is expected to go even higher in the coming days, but the apparel showrooms have already started offering discounts or schemes to clear their summer stocks.

The reason may be the increasing level of competition between the big brands of apparels, which has forced them to put their stock on sale at this time of the season. But this is for the first time that the branded showrooms, including some international brands, are offering heavy discounts in the middle of May.

Shoppers can be seen carrying a handful of bags full of clothes and accessories.

Generally, the discounts are offered in the middle of June or in the first week of July, but the trend seems to have changed.

While visiting various markets in the city, TNS found that major brands like the United Colors of Benetton, Allen Solly, Levis, Denizen, Reebok, Liliput, Cantabil, Catmoss and many others were offering discounts from 15 per cent to 50 per cent. Some of them were offering flat 40 and 50 per cent discount.

The sunglasses were also available at 20 per cent discount at Titan Eye showroom. Some major showrooms like Sant Shoes were also offering a discount of flat 50 per cent on their products.

Varun Garg, a local resident, said, "I came here just to visit the market, but after coming here, I came to know about the deals being offered by the showrooms. I was surprised to see the boards displaying discount on the fresh stock, that too, during this period."

Anand Kumar, manager at Allen Solly showroom, said, "We have offered promotional scheme to the customers so that they can come and buy the maximum products of ours."

Similarly, a manager of another showroom said, "We can't wait anymore, as other showrooms have started offering discounts on their products. If we have to survive in the market, then we have no other option but to follow the others."

Bathinda, May 23
In a notification sent to the heads of all the government schools across the state, the Director General of School Education (DGSE) has directed them to set up math laboratories or math corners in their respective schools.

As per the notification, these Math laboratories will be set up for the students of class IV to class X, starting from the academic session 2012-13. These laboratories will be used to conduct practical classes for the subject.

The heads of the government schools have also been told that setting up of these laboratories and ensuring the smooth conduct of practical activities is their responsibility.

The notification clarifies that in case a room is already free in the school, it can be turned into a Math laboratory to create the right atmosphere for the teaching and study of practical arithmetic.

In case a room is not free on the school premises, the existing library or science laboratory will have to be used as the math laboratory.

The teachers will be provided the kit and apparatus required for conducting arithmetic practical.

For the students of class VI to class VII, a total of 15 marks have been allotted to the arithmetic practical. This has been further divided into practical activities (10 marks), practical notebook (3 marks) and viva (2 marks)

For the students of class IX and class X, a total of 25 marks have been allotted to the arithmetic practical. These marks are divided into practical activities (16 marks), practical notebook (5 marks) and viva (4 marks).

The heads of the schools have been directed to ensure that the math laboratories are set up in their respective schools at the earliest so that math teachers can begin teaching practical arithmetic.

The heads have also been asked to give full cooperation to the teachers in this regard. 

Bathinda, May 23
Resentment prevails among the industrialists in Bathinda due to the alleged discontinuation in furnishing the possession of allotted land to the industrialists by the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation Limited (PSIECL).

The industrialists here have sought the intervention of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal in this regard for giving the much-needed impetus to the process of industrialisation in the region.

President of the Bathinda Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Raman Watts said the PSIECL had allotted vacant land at Focal Points in Punjab to the industrialists after five years in 2011. As many as 110 industrialists of Bathinda also got land for setting up industries, Raman said.

Raman said the possession of the allotted lands had been given only to some industrialists while the others had so far not got it. He alleged that the PSIECL had stopped giving the possession of the allotted land to the beneficiaries without assigning any valid reason.

Raman said the documents relating to the allotment of land have the clauses regarding possession. But there was no clause in it about not handing over possession.

The industrialists here said that on the one hand, the Punjab Government has been encouraging the entrepreneurs to set up industries while on the other, it indirectly discourages them by not giving the possession of the land.

Construction of any sort on the vacant land without having possession would mean inviting trouble, they added.

Seeking the intervention of the Chief Minister, the BCCI has written a letter urging him to take measures on priority basis to give the much-needed boost to the process of industrialisation in Bathinda.

A tree plantation drive in progress on the opening day of the NSS camp at the Punjabi University College in Ghudda on Wednesday. A Tribune Photograph

Bathinda, May 23
A seven-day NSS camp was inaugurated at the Punjabi University College, Ghudda today. The chief guest at the inauguration ceremony was the Assistant Director, Youth Services, Dr Kamaljeet Singh Sidhu.

Addressing the students of the colleges, Dr Sidhu said the students should have a selfless zeal for working endlessly for the uplift of the society. He also appreciated the efforts of the students, programme officer and faculty members for organising the camp. Dr Satnam Singh Jassal, principal of the college thanked the dignitaries for attending the inauguration and briefed the gathering that as many as 60 volunteers would take part in the NSS camp. The inauguration ceremony was marked by a colourful cultural performances presented by the students of the college.

Bathinda, May 23
Under its anti-drugs campaign, the Bathinda Vikas Manch organised an awareness programme at the Government Senior Secondary School, Chak Ram Singh Wala.

Principal of the school, Veena Rani presided over the function while a retired principal Gobind Singh was the chief guest. Gobind Singh appealed to the participants not to get hooked to intoxicants as it can ruin life of the person and have devastating consequences. — TNS