Bathinda, July 12
The PEPSU Road Transportation Corporation (PRTC) today convened a review meeting of the city bus service project.

The general manager (operations), Surinder Singh, who presided over the meeting, said the bus service’s performance had been encouraging with the income per kilometer rising to Rs 18. However, it was still less than the break even point of Rs 24 spent per kilometer.

“After extending the number of routes and putting up bus timing charts across the city, we have got good response,” he said.

Surinder Singh checked all the routes. He motivated drivers and conductors to be passenger-friendly and to maintain composure while navigating the city traffic during the rush hours.

He directed the drivers and conductors to adhere to punctuality, which is the most important factor in maintaining the popularity of the city bus service.

He added that the Phase II of the project would soon be launched after the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda (MCB), cleared the proposal of buying six to eight mini-buses for the areas across railway lines.

“These buses would be exclusively meant for narrow lanes of the trans-railway lines area,” he said.

Earlier, last month, the PRTC was spending Rs 24 for Rs 13 earned per km.

All the 10 buses under the city bus service cover an area of 235 km daily while running in 15 km within the municipal limits.

Bathinda, July 12
A series of snatching incidents have shaken the residents of Bathinda. Snatchers manage to decamp with costly jewellery, cash, mobile phones and important documents of the victims even in broad daylight and from the busy market places.

Most of the victims are women who fall prey to these snatchers while walking or commuting on rickshaw with their purses or bags containing money or other costly items dangling.

Most of the snatching incidents go unreported due to lack of expertise, infrastructure and manpower, which prove handy in nabbing the culprits.

While the Chandigarh police successfully managed to curtail the rising snatching incidents by cordoning off various residential as well as commercial areas, the city police is yet to come up with such measures to curb the crime.

The Chandigarh police studied the snatching patterns and immediately cordon off an area where snatching is reported and arrested the miscreant.

The police also sensitised people to take care of their costly items by organising various awareness camps.

Recently, the Chandigarh police trapped a gang of snatchers by enticing them. Female cops wearing jewellery tried to attract snatchers to commit the crime while policemen in mufti escorted them. The moment a snatcher tried to pounce upon his victim, he was arrested.

The same is, however, yet to be implemented in Bathinda. Also, most of the snatching incidents that took place in the city are yet to be cracked.

Senior Superintendent of Police Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill, during a recent press conference, had stated that the police had adopted various measures to tackle the snatching incidents but was yet to attain any major achievement.

He said a gang of snatchers was busted in the past but it again became active after those arrested were released on bail.

The SSP said the cops tried to entice the snatchers by throwing potential victims as a bait, for example a female cop wearing jewellery. “The female cop, however, continued walking across the city but failed to attract any of the snatchers,” he said.

SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill said various nakas had been laid during the rush hours in the morning, afternoon and evening.

The intensified patrolling in the city has instilled a sense of security among the city residents and created panic among the unscrupulous elements, especially the snatchers, the SSP claimed.

Bathinda, July 12
The district health authorities have issued 100 challan books to 34 officials of various government departments for issuing challans to the persons, found to be smoking at public places. The intiative aims at checking the smokers from smoking at public places and to obtain the smoke-free district status for Bathinda.

Talking to this reporter here, the assistant nodal officer for Tobacco Control Programme and the District TB Officer, Dr Ashok Monga, said all these officials had also been asked to appoint nodal officer in their respective departments to create awareness among people about avoiding smoking at public places and issuing challans to those who would be found violating the norms of the Tobacco Control Act and the rules framed for bringing smoking at public places under check.

Dr Monga said all the departments would send monthly reports to the Civil Surgeon’s office, with regard to the number of challans issued and the amounts of fine imposed and collected from the violators of the Act and the Rules.

He said the district authorities were now more active to procure the smoke-free district status. “This was the reason why the office of the deputy commissioner sent the directions to these officers to implement the provisions and send the reports,” he added.

The officers, who have been issued challan books, belong to the health department, the police department, the administration, the Municipal Corporation, the Army, the Air Force, the excise and taxation department, agriculture office, PWD, district education office, colleges etc.

Since 2009, the district health authorities have challaned as many as 324 persons in the district for smoking at public places, like bus stand, railway station, Mini-secretariat and hospital complex. So far, penalty to the tune of Rs 21,356 has been imposed on the violators.

In the month of June this year alone, the health authorities have issued 74 challans for smoking at public places and recovered fine amounting to Rs 3,540 from the violators of the Act and the Rules.

During the first six months of this year, the health authorities issued challans to 143 persons for smoking at public places and recovered Rs 7,560 as penalty for the violation.

In January 2012, the authorities concerned issued challans to 33 persons while in February, 11 persons were penalised for the violation.

In March, three persons were issued challan, while two persons were penalised in April. But May saw 20 persons being penalised.

Dr Monga said the district health authorities would continue their campaign in a big way against the persons smoking at public places as they not only violated the provisions of the Act and the rules but also turned other people into passive smokers.

Bathinda, July 12
Funds crunch at the much-hyped Police Station Outreach Centres (PSOC) of Bathinda have forced the cops to ask the visitors to fulfil the basic requirements at these centres.

The officials at these centres fail to arrange stationery items, including paper, stamp pads and printer cartridges, as they are yet to be provided with any specific funds to purchase stationery.

The officials alleged that senior policemen and members of the committees formed to oversee the centre’s functioning had failed to provide them with funds.

An ASI, who is the in-charge of one of these centres, said though the government raised each centre by spending around Rs 10 lakh in the district, it failed to provide for the running expenses, on daily or monthly basis.

“A signboard was lying with the painter for the past four months as an amount of Rs 850 was not released by the department. The money was donated by one of the committee members and the signboard has now been installed outside the main entrance,” said the in-charge of one of the 13 PSOCs in the district.

He said committees with reputed people of the city, including, doctors, businessmen, NGO presidents and social workers, as its members were formed by the government to help in fulfilling the daily needs of the centre.

“But now, most of the committee members have retracted as they were continuously pestered to arrange for money to purchase the basic necessities,” he said. “A local businessman is quite active in donating money for routine things like paper and forms which are filled by the complainants. We called him yesterday to arrange for the forms but he replied that he was off to Singapore and will return only next month,” the centre in-charge said.

He rued that yesterday, a complainant belonging to a well-off family was asked to bring the photocopies of the forms in bulk.

“Now we are searching for a complainant who could refill the printer cartridge that got exhausted last week, following which complainants pointed out illegible token receipts,” the ASI said.

He pointed out that a dish TV, wall clock and the map of the police station’s area were donated by one of the members of the committee.

“Today, I bought screws of costly chairs that were missing. It cost me Rs 80 per screw. I could not afford to purchase such things everyday,” the cop added. He pointed out that no specific fund had been allocated to the CPOCs even as the issue had been raised many times.

It is recalled that 13 CPOCs were made functional on August 9 last year at various police stations in Bathinda district. Services like counselling related to domestic violence and free legal aid were made available at these centres. Besides, one could also obtain a copy of the FIR registered, police verification of passport and other documents. As many as 37 such centres have been set up in Punjab out of which 13 were in Bathinda district.

A DSP level officer is deployed to supervise the functioning of these PSOCs.

Nearly Rs 1.75 crores were spent on raising these centres wherein computers and other electronic devices were also installed.

Policemen posted at these centres had undergone seven to 15 days of training and the front desk employees have been barred from wearing khakhi uniform. They wear white clothes and the in-charge too is dressed in civvies so as to make the public more friendly with these centres.

The PSOCs have come up at Kotwali, Civil Lines, Canal Colony, and Thermal police stations in Bathinda besides at Naihanwala, Nathana, Phul, Sadar Rampura, City Ramura, Kot Fatta, Maur, Raman Mandi and Sangat in the district.

When contacted, DSP City-1, Gurmeet Singh, denied that the centres were facing shortage of funds. He, however, assured to personally visit the centres to look into the problems, if any.

Bathinda, July 12
The Adesh Group of Institute’s Bathinda campus has been upgraded to the status of a university. The institute’s spokesperson said it was the first multi-domain university in the state of Punjab to run MBBS and BDS courses.

The Adesh University Act was unanimously passed by the Punjab Legislature under the Government of Punjab Act 6 of 2012.

The Adesh Group, Muktsar, is the pioneer in medical and technical education and is among the top organisations in the Northern India.

The chancellor of the Adesh University, Dr HS Gill, said that the group had institutes in Muktsar, Faridkot and near Chandigarh as well.

Dr Gill said the university would provide quality education to the students of Malwa region.

Bathinda, July 12
A function was organised at the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR) to bid adieu to the outgoing batch of the college. Speaking on the occasion, Dr GPI Singh, Director Principal, lauded the gesture of the junior students in organising the farewell function for the outgoing MBBS batch of 2007.

Dr Singh highlighted that the objective of students joining the medical college was not only to pick up knowledge and skills required for a doctor but to grow as a good human being with a matching personality in order to provide succour to the suffering humanity and perform their due role as responsible citizens of the country.

The students presented programmes showcasing their talent in dance, drama and music. The highlight of event was a fashion parade wherein each intern was required to walk the ramp and say a few words about him or herself.

Manmeet Singh was selected as Mr Farewell and Neha was selected as Miss Farewell. Other students who received the awards including Mr and Miss Talented 2012 were Nikhil Mehta and Amandeep. Mr And Miss Personality 2012 were Abhishek Rathore and Parneet Gill.

Bathinda, July 12
A special family planning camp-cum-sehat mela was organised at the community health centre (CHC) in Mehraj village today. Bathinda Civil Surgeon Dr Ajay Sahni and the District Family Welfare Officer Dr Rawanjit Kaur also took part in the camp.

At this camp, as many as 520 patients were examined. The camp was organised in assistance with Manav Sewa Welfare Society. The patients were given medicines free of cost. During the camp, 26 cases of copper-T were performed. On the occasion, Civil Surgeon was also honoured by Baba Manmohan Singh, head of the Gurdwara Gumantsar Sahib. Such camps-cum-sehat melas are being organised in all health blocks of the district under a 15-day population control programme. These camps are being organised to control the population and create awareness among the masses about the adverse affects of increasing population.

The camp was attended, among others, by the president of Manav Sewa Welfare Society Ranjit Singh Bahia, Sarpanch and Panch of various Panchayats of Mehraj, senior medical officer of Mehraj Dr Rajinder Kaur Chehal, a gynaecologist Dr Ritu, a surgeon Dr DP Bansal, Dr Rajinder Bhushan, Dr Inderveer Kalra, Dr Narinder, Dr Ravi Singla and Dr Ravi Kant.

After visiting the camp, the Civil Surgeon also toured the community health centre (CHC) at Nathana and inspected it.

The Civil Surgeon expressed satisfaction over the cleanliness and performance of the CHC.

Bathinda, July 12
MM Behal, a candidate for the elections to the Associate Bank Officers' Association, has written a letter to the Chief Labour Commissioner demanding elections for the association through secret ballot.

Behal demanded the intervention of the commissioner in holding elections.

Behal said in the letter that the union in the State Bank of Patiala (SBOP) under the Associate Bank Officers' Association, was registered at Hyderabad. He alleged that the union is functioning in an undemocratic manner for the last 18 years.

He pointed out that the body elected many years ago continues to remain in office except for the option to fill the vacancies in case of retirement or the death of the existing office-bearers.

He said that the present body has outlived its term in June 2012.

Behal has claimed in the letter that more than 2500 out of the total strength of 4730 members have written to the outgoing president and the general secretary to hold region-wise elections through secret ballot but the matter was not on the agenda of the meeting held at Patiala on July 8. — TNS 

Bathinda, July 12
Two motorbikes worth Rs 50,000 were stolen by some unidentified person from the Mittal Mall and the Civil Hospital. Tara Chand of Bibi Wala road lodged a complaint with the saying his bike was stolen from the Civil Hospital premises. A case under section 379 of the IPC has been registered against unidentified persons at the Kotwali police station.