Bathinda, May 30
The worst fear of Bathinda residents and its nearby areas came true on Wednesday when the north-bound mercury wreaked havoc by crossing the 46 degree Celsius mark, the highest temperature recorded this summer season so far.

As the mercury crossed the highest temperature of the last summer, it threw normal life in the region almost out of gear. The highest temperature in summer 2011 was recorded at 46 degree Celsius on May 19.

The mercury recorded a new high today by registering 46.2 degree Celsius, nearly one degree higher than yesterday, as per the agri-met department of the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), regional station, Bathinda.

The minimum temperature, however, was recorded at 24.4 degree Celsius, almost similar to what was recorded on Tuesday.

Mercury while moving along the lines predicted by the weather men today, forced the region to reel under intense heat wave conditions and leaving the residents high and dry.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), had ruled out the possibility of any respite from the prevailing heat wave and had predicted the possibility of the maximum temperature climbing up to 48 degree Celsius in the region.

As the intense heat wave swept the region, almost all the important roads in the city wore a deserted look throughout the day as residents preferred to remain indoors as a preventive measure against the nature’s fury.

Those who were forced to move out because of work commitments covered their faces as a protection against the scorching sun.

Bathinda, May 30
Bathinda police has started acting with alacrity in issuing challans to the owners of cars with tinted glasses, following the directive of the Supreme Court.

As per the directive, no percentage of tint is allowed on the glasses of vehicles.

Out of the total number of 230 challans issued in the month of May, 87 challans were awarded to those using black films in their cars.

Apart from the challans, the special squad of Traffic Police has removed black films from more than 35 vehicles in the city. The district traffic police and the highway police have jointly launched the campaign against the use of black films.

“We have been issued orders of removing black films from all the private and government vehicles in the city. Not even a single percent of tint is allowed on the glasses of any vehicle,” said ASP City-II Kuldip Chahal. He said the city traffic police was leading in the district when it came to removing black films. He pointed out that 42 challans were issued to the violators till the mid of May and the number was increasing.

“Earlier we had planned to warn the violators, but now we have instructed the cops on duty on roads to immediately issue challans to anyone found using tinted glasses on their vehicles,” he said.

Apart from the use of black films, now those using illegal red beacons, jumping red lights, using mobile phone while driving and not wearing helmets are also being challaned.

City residents appreciated police’s move of cracking the whip on the vehicles VIPs and commoners alike.

Dheeraj Dixit, a dentist in the city, said he got the black films removed from his car following the warning issued to him on Mall Road last week.

“I was pleased to see black film removed from the official vehicle of the deputy commissioner, local leaders and senior government functionaries,” he said.

He added that the police needed to pull up their socks and bring the drive to logical conclusions by removing black films from all the vehicles plying on the city roads.

Bathinda, May 30
While exercising his powers under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), the district magistrate, Kamal Kishore Yadav, has issued an order that no chemist (retailer or wholesaler) will sell any medicine, which may be misused as an intoxicant, till such as time the customer does not furnish a doctor’s prescription.

The chemists have also been oredered to make a proper bill on every sale of these medicines in the Bathinda district. This order, which was enforced in the district starting May 29, will remain in force till July 30.

As per the order, all chemists/medical drug stores (retail and wholesale) will maintain a register for making entries of the stock, sale and purchase of all such medicines.

This register can be checked by the executive magistrate, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) or any officer above the rank of DSP, or any other authorised person.

Bathinda, May 30
Punjabi University, Patiala, has cancelled all the examinations which were scheduled to be held on May 31. These include written and practical examinations for all the subjects.

As per a notification by the University, the examinations have been cancelled due to “administrative reasons”. Speaking to TNS, Pawan Kumar Singla, Controller of Examination, Punjabi University, Patiala, said, “The cancellation of examinations has been done in the wake of the call for Bharat Bandh on May 31.”

“Many colleges affiliated to the University are located in rural areas and we had been receiving calls from worried students and parents. The are worried about the eventuality of traffic blockages, agitation and protest marches due to Bharat Bandh. They wanted to know how they would appear for the examinations if such a situation arose. So, the University decided to cancel the examinations scheduled for May 31 and rescheduled the same,” he added.

While all the practical examinations have been rescheduled for June 1, the written exams for all the subjects, except for the distance education programme in MA (Library and Information Science), have been rescheduled for June 16. The examination for distance education programme in MA (Library and Information Science) will now be held on June 26. The time and venue for the examinations would remain the same.

The call for Bharat Bandh has been made by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to protest against the petrol price hike. The bandh is expected to hit the transport system across the country owing to protests and agitations planned by local political bodies raising their voice against the petrol price hike.

Bathinda, May 30
The first BCA Bathinda District Chess Championship (category — under 25) for boys and girls (common) will be organised by Bathinda District Chess Association on June 2 and 3 at Teachers’ Home.

The top ten position holders will be selected for the Under-25 Punjab State Chess Championship to represent Bathinda district.

Bathinda District Chess Association will bear the entry fees of these players for the Under -25 Punjab State Chess Championship’.

Bathinda, May 30
District and sessions judge SK Aggarwal today called upon the users of tobacco products, especially smokers, to give up smoking and use of other tobacco products to protect themselves from some deadly diseases like cancer. He also appealed to the media persons to create awareness against the use of tobacco products among common masses in a big way.

Aggarwal was addressing a seminar, organised in connection with the “World No Tobacco Day” by District Legal Services Authority and the District Bar Association on the premises of the Judicial Court Complex here today.

In the seminar, judicial officers and members of the Bar also took part.

Aggarwal said every person, who took intoxicants (tobacco products), not only spoiled the life of his family members but also suffered from various diseases, including cancer, asthma and tuberculosis. He also urged the people
to reject the myth that by taking intoxicants, a person got energy.

The sessions judge said during the hearing of cases he had noticed that use of liquor was behind many matrimonial and domestic dispute cases. He exhorted the people not to even taste drugs or cigarette just for fun as at a later stage the same become habit.

On the occasion, the sessions judge also released a pamphlet, published by the District Legal Services Authority in connection with “World No Tobacco Day”.

Earlier, sssistant district attorney (Legal Services) Surinder Sachdeva said due to use of tobacco products and smoking, eight lakh people died in India every year. Besides, 40 percent of cancer cases also reported in India every year due to the use of tobacco products by the people, he added.

President of the District Bar Association (DBA) Ranjit Singh Jalal said though a large number of people did not smoke still they were passive smokers. He said the state governments and the World Health Organisation should pay attention towards this problem to protect the coming generations.

The secretary of the DBA Gurwinder Singh Mann also spoke on the passive smoking, saying that passive smoking was even more dangerous than active smoking. So people should protect themselves from it, he added.

President of the Bathinda Vikas Manch, an NGO, Rakesh Narula also addressed the seminar. 

Bathinda, May 30
To check smoking at public places the district health authorities have issued challans to 69 persons since January 2012 in the city so far. The authorities also fined them and received the amounts on the spot.

According to information, the authorities challaned 33 persons in January 2012 and collected fines, worth Rs 1830, from them. Likewise, in the month of February, the authorities issued challans to 11 persons and collected Rs 770 as fine. In the month of March and April three and two persons respectively were challaned and collected Rs 260 and Rs 400 as fine. However, in the month of May as many as 20 persons have been challaned so far, from whom the authorities have collected Rs 760 as fine.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day tomorrow, a former president of Punjab unit of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Dr Amrit Sethi, who is an eye specialist, said smokers were more prone to get cataract at an early age. He said one of the causes of cataract at the age of 40 years is smoking.

With regard to smoking by pregnant women, Dr Sethi says when a pregnant woman smokes she's smoking for two actually, so pregnant woman, who smokes, risk the health and life of her unborn baby. During pregnancy smoking is linked with a greater chance of miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth, infant death, low birth weight etc, he adds.

Dr Sethi further said half the male TB deaths in India are caused by smoking. Besides, it is estimated that by 2020 there would be 10 million deaths related to use of tobacco every year worldwide while a majority of these deaths would be in the developing countries like India.

Dr Sethi urged the government to raise the taxes on tobacco products in a big way. He said it was unfortunate that bidis and oral tobacco products are still very low priced.

President of an NGO, Bathinda Vikas Manch, Rakesh Narula along with Radhey Shayam Bansal of Yoga Samiti today visited a slum area in the Beant Nagar here. They distributed the pamphlets among the residents to create awareness among them about the ill-effects of the use of tobacco products and smoking. They also appealed to those, who smoke or use the tobacco products, to give up the same as these caused several diseases, like cancer and asthma.

Bathinda, May 30
The mentally-ill woman and her few days old girl child, found abandoned on May 21 aboard Jammu-Tawi Express, have been handed over to the office of Director, Raj Mahila Sadan, Social Justice and Development department, Jaipur.

The woman was found abandoned in train writhing in labour pain. Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa rushed her to Bathinda Civil Hospital where she gave birth to a baby girl within few hours.

Being mentally unfit, woman could only tell the doctors at the Civil Hospital her name and the place she belonged to. She claimed to be Salma from Jaipur.

The deputy commissioner-cum-district magistrate Kamal Kishore Yadav fixed responsibility of the District Red Cross Society to hand over the mother-daughter to an agency with the help of the NGO Sahara Jas Sewa.

Secretary Red Cross Society, J R Goyal got in touch with the Director, Raj Mahila Sadan, Social Justice and Development Department Jaipur, Rajasthan where such abandoned women can be sent.

The office of director agreed to take in Salma and her baby.

"We approached the KK Yadav requesting to find a solution for Salma and her child. Within an hour the Red Cross Society office tied up with Jaipur officials and the DC declared that duo be sent to Jaipur," said the president of Sahara Jan Sewa, Vijay Goyal.

The DC office helped in hiring a private taxi to take Salma to Jaipur. Mother-daughter, one Sahara volunteer, two lady constables and two Red Cross Society workers left for Jaipur on May 29 evening.

Yadav thanked Jaipur Government, the Sahara volunteers and the Red Cross Society for helping the woman. 

Bathinda, May 30
Kotwali police has arrested two residents of Rajasthan for possessing 1.5 kilogramme of opium worth nearly Rs 1.5 lakh.

The accused were arrested while they were in search of costumers to sell the contraband near the Truck Union, Labour Chowk and other places where labourers work.

Kotwali SHO Jaspal Singh said that Jasbir and Kahan Singh, both 31 years old, were arrested on a tip off received by SI Gurjeet Singh. The accused were arrested from near Santpura road.

He said that the accused, both residents of Sangharia area of Rajasthan, are habitual offenders. He said that Jasbir was earlier arrested with 4.5 kilogramme opium at Ferozepur and a case in this connection is pending against him.

Investigations are on to trace cases pending against another accused, he said.

He added that the accused admitted to have brought the opium from Chittaurgarh in Rajasthan. He pointed out that they purchased similar quantity of opium from Rajasthan where it was found in abundance legally as there was no ban on its cultivation.

Bathinda, May 30
Three residents of village Bhucho Khurd have been booked for roughing up Bhucho Mandi kanungo Ram Kumar and stopping him from performing official duty.

In his complaint to the Nathana police, Ram Kumar stated he had gone to get possession of some land in the village. However, villagers Mahinder Kaur, Gurpreet Singh and Jarnail Singh from Bhucho Khurd beat him up. Police has registered a case under Sections 353, 186, 323, 506, 341 and 34 the IPC. — TNS