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Sirhind Canal breach causes damage of lakhs to Mini zoo
Public library to go hi-tech within 3 months
Gaining support: TET teachers turn to social networking sites
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Admn Plans to check playing of indecent songs in buses
More explosives recovered from Sirhind Canal
Appointment issue of PTIs gets murkier
Four booked for preparing fake bail papers
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Sirhind Canal breach causes damage of lakhs to Mini zoo
Bir Talab (Bathinda), June 8
According to information, the zoo animals were safe despite the widening of the breach today. Canal water entered the zoo area after the breach and was removed overnight using JCB machines with the help of area residents, volunteers of a Sirsa-based religious sect, all working under the supervision of the irrigation and forest department officials. Nearly 400 volunteers of the Green Welfare Force of the Sirsa-based dera filled gunny bags with mud to plug the more than 250 feet breach. Officials of the irrigation department said it would take next 24 hours to completely repair the breach and the water is likely to be released on Sunday morning. The PWD-B&R officials supervising the construction of the five-kilometer- long boundary wall said a loss of more than `50 lakh was suspected to have been done by the canal water. The officials said apart from the boundary wall, iron fencing, pavement and a recently-laid road were also damaged. Divisional Forest Officer, K Kannan said initially the entire forest department panicked but heaved a sigh of relief after water level receded and NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) and volunteers reached the site, along with the DC and his staff. He said though the chances of water entering the zoo premises were quite remote at present, the officials had taken all the precautionary measures. Even those suspended in the recent case of death of black bucks, helped in various important tasks, said the forest department officials. Superintending Engineer (SE) of the irrigation department blamed the roots of trees alongside the bank of the canal for the breach. He said though the lining in the canal was done way back in 1988 and no major repair work had been done since then, the roots of the trees were the chief reason behind the breach. He claimed that the baildars of his department had initiated cleanliness drives twice in the last year. He however feigned ignorance over the missing bricks in the canal. Irrigation department officials said iron gates at the banks of the canal, which helped in draining out water during such eventualities, have also been missing for a long time. The officials said the flow of water got stopped as various tributaries in Bathinda and adjoining areas were without water, following repair work. The heavy flow of water was diverted to the empty tributaries in Ballo village near Tapa in Bathinda. “Otherwise the flow of water would have stopped from Ropar which could have taken more than 24 hours,” the officials said. Tarlochan, a resident of Basti Number 3 in Bir Talab said water had inundated agricultural fields. According to reports, as many as 15-20 houses in the nearby Naruana village had got submerged.
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Public library to go hi-tech within 3 months
Bathinda, June 8 The computerised record will include the name of the book, the name of the publisher and the number of the book. After the computerisation, every member of the library will be able to have an easy access to the books of his/her choice. The Public Library has about 46,000 books in Punjabi, Hindi, English and Urdu languages. The keying-in of the data of all the books for the computerisation is already in progress. The records of all 14,000 English books has already been keyed-in while 70 per cent record of about 12,000 Punjabi books and 50 per cent record of about 14,000 Hindi books has also been typed. However, the record of about 6,000 Urdu books will be computerised in English words. The library authorities had started the computerisation work about an year ago, but it could not be completed due to some hurdles. According to library authorities, they could not complete the typing work of Hindi books due to a shortage of Hindi typists in the area. However, the entire record of the English books was typed by the librarian. The library was established in the local Sirki Bazar in 1938 and later shifted to the existing building in 1954. At present, the library has as many as 3,000 members on its record. Of these, almost 55 members get books issued daily. Besides the 46,000 books, the library also has a 32-volume set of The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. Talking to TNS, the general secretary of the Public Library, Kuldip Dhingra, said they were facing problems in getting a Hindi typist for typing the data of the books. He added that they would finish the computerisation work at the earliest, even before the target of three months. once they got a Hindi typist. The manager-cum-librarian of the Public Library, Parveen Garg, said after the completion of the typing work, library software would be uploaded in the computer system. He added that they would arrange touch screen system for the readers to find the titles of the books. He said any reader would be able to find the book title by entering the name of the book, or the name of the publisher or the number of the book etc. He said they were hopeful that the library would go hi-tech within three months and the books would just be a click away from the members/readers.
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Gaining support: TET teachers turn to social networking sites
Rampura, June 8 The agitators have created an account on the social networking site and have also circulated their mobile phone numbers among the villagers to strengthen their union. Five teachers sat on a hunger strike. Apart from occupying the village water tank, the TET teachers from various districts of Punjab have blocked the Bathinda-Barnala road in protest against the pending appointment letters of nearly 9,000 teachers who had cleared the TET and counselling conducted by the state government. They had however, agreed to lift the road blockade on Wednesday following an assurance by the Punjab Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka. They resumed the blockade following failure of talks and written assurances by the government. State general secretary of the union, Raghuvir Singh, said the social networking site had spread the news of their plight across the world and many radio and news channels had called them up for interviews from US, Canada and Australia. “Members of our unions today visited five villages around Rampura and informed the villagers about the wrong education policies of the state government,” Raghuvir said. Lakhwinder Singh, a software developer and resident of Lehra Dhoorkut village said the road blockade had been causing a lot of trouble for the villagers and the commuters. “Apart from increase in the dust level and damaged pavements due to plying of heavy vehicles, the constant honking of horns by the vehicles passing through the village and the loudspeakers being used the protesters have added to the noise pollution,” Lakhwinder said. He added that the district administration and the state government seemed least concerned about the plight of the commuters. A large number of policemen, police vehicles, ambulance, fire tenders and volunteers of various NGOs are camping in Lehra Dhoorkut village to handle any eventuality.
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Admn Plans to check playing of indecent songs in buses
Bathinda, June 8 Headed by noted Punjabi writer Attarjit Singh, the delegation submitted a memorandum against indecent Punjabi songs and videos to the chief minister through deputy commissioner Bathinda stating that complete ban be imposed on such things. Delegation demanded that legal action be taken against the lyricists, singers and companies to produce such uncivil creations. Attarjit Singh said the Punjabi songs, especially reflect poor picture of Punjab and endorse wine and show women in bad taste. He added that such songs and videos were played in buses putting passengers, especially women, at unease. The DC said that anyone could call at his campus office numbers 0164-2212789 and 0164-2213071 and give information about such songs being played in public. Other delegates included workers of Lok Manch Bathinda, Lekhak Sabha, Pendu Sahit Sabha Balianwali, Sahit Prerna Manch Poohli, BKU (Ugraha), Lok Morcha Punjab, Jamhoori Adhikar Sabha, Naujawan Bharat Sabha and others.
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More explosives recovered from Sirhind Canal
Bathinda, June 8 The matter was brought into the notice of the police by some volunteers of Waheguru Welfare Society. Thermal police took the explosives into their possession and further handed it over to the army authorities at the Cantonment. Police officials said that the explosives were likely to be sold by some scrap dealers who could have failed to find buyers and had thrown it in the canal.
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Appointment issue of PTIs gets murkier
Bathinda, June 8 In a press statement issued here today, the office bearer of the PTI Union Veerpal Kaur stated that when government advertised posts in 2006, it had fixed 50 per cent quota each for men and women candidates. Later, two more batches of PTIs were recruited that included 244 PTI in first batch and 260 PTI in second batch with the same set of conditions. The candidates with higher education filed a writ in the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The Punjab government then presented revised merit list of candidates on April 3 this year that included the 50:50 ratio concept. The high court ordered that procedure of issuing appointment letters to candidates mentioned in merit list be started from June 1. When the government did not start this procedure, the union members met DPI secondary Kamal Garg, chairman department selection committee Neelam Bhagat and education secretary Punajb SS Channi. “Neelam Bhagat told us that government will issue merit list that has been prepared on the basis of a Neelam Rani versus state of Punjab court case of 2000. This means that merit list would be prepared on the basis of marks scored and not on 50:50 male:female ratio. This would lead to 150 working female PTIs losing their jobs,” she added. Union members said that the department has wrongly deciphered Neelam Rani case judgement. Union members convened a meeting on June 3 at Chandigarh wherein it was decided that government would be given a tough fight.
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Four booked for preparing fake bail papers
Bathinda, June 8 The accused are booked under Sections 420, 465, 467, 468, 471 and 120-B of the IPC. The case was investigated by Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Bathinda police. Policemen said that the accused prepared fake ration cards and helped criminals getting bails using fake papers. Police said that the accused had formed a gang that indulged in preparing fake bonds for the past few months. Further investigation is on in the case.
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Thursday’s breach in Bathinda branch of the Sirhind Canal has caused a damage of more than `50 lakh to the Mini Zoo. Nearly 1,000-feet-long boundary wall of the Mini Zoo collapsed following the breach.
