Bathinda, July 18
The tall claims of Punjab government of promoting thermal lakes as a tourist destination in the city have fallen flat. The much-hyped choreographed musical fountain, which has been lying dysfunctional since December last year, awaits connection at its new site, lake number 3.

The Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) has spent `84 lakh on the project. A Chandigarh-based company took over the project and installed the fountain in lake number 1, adjacent to Bhai Ghanaiya Chowk.

The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) even gave power connection to the project, with the mains located near the office of the superintending engineer.

“However, later, the government directed the BDA that lake number 3 too needed a fountain and hence, one more fountain be bought and installed there. Before the elections, BDA apprised the government of the money involved in the project, after which the Chief Minister of Punjab directed that the fountain be uprooted from lake number 1 and fixed in lake number 3,” said the BDA officials.

Lake number 3 had already been developed as a boating club and now the Peninsula Mall across the road have come up. Keeping in view the lake’s potential for giving tourism a boost, it was decided that the fountain would be shifted.

In the meantime, BDA moved an application with the PSPCL requesting that the power connection be shifted as well.

“However, the PSPCL objected to the proposal stating that the connection shall be used for commercial purpose. In April this year, BDA wrote back assuring that the connection would only be used for the purpose it was meant for,” the official added.

The PSPCL’s board of directors cleared the matter and issued a certificate allowing the shifting of the fountain. While the fountain has been shifted, it awaits a power connection.

Chief engineer (West), DS Dhaliwal, said the BDA was yet to apply for the shifting of connection. “Till July 17, we did not have any application pending in this regard,” he told the Bathinda Tribune.

Meanwhile, chief administrator, BDA, Uma Shankar Gupta, while pointing out the reasons for the delay, said the first four months of the year were spent on the assembly elections. “The fountain was to be made functional by July 15 and most of the formalities have been cleared. It would be functional in another week. I will ensure it is expedited,” he added.

Bathinda, July 18
Thanks to the unprecedented rush for admission to various courses at the Government Rajindra College in Bathinda, the college put up a notice of closure of the admission process on Wednesday. The closure of the admission process came within ten days of the college beginning the first counselling session.

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, the principal of the college, Vijay Goyal, confirmed the news and said, "The admission process has come to an end. Seats for all the courses have been filled and there is no chance of the college beginning a second counselling session for any of its courses. In fact, we will begin the classes from July 25."

This year, the college had received almost 2000 forms for the 660 seats for BA Part I. Since the course is most in demand, the college had admitted close to 800 students last year. This year too, the college has admitted as many as 850 students for the course. Out of these 850 students, admission of about 25-30 students is pending due to either non-payment of fee or non-completion of the admission formalities. The course will not re-open for the second session of counselling.

The same is the case with B.Sc Part I (non-medical). While the college has 132 seats for the course, a slightly higher number of students have been admitted to it. "There is no chance of second counselling for this course as well. In this course, there are chances that a few students, who may get through some engineering college, may leave the course later. If seats are left vacant, the admissions will be done strictly on the basis of merit," said the principal.

Seats for the other courses, like Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA), Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), Post-graduate Diploma in Computer Applications (PGDCA), B.Com, B.Sc Part I (Medical) and B.Sc Part I (Biotechnology), have also been filled.

Students have been admitted for all of the 88 seats for the BCA, 142 seats available for B.Com, 53 seats for BBA and 33 seats for PGDCA.

If the college opens the second counselling session, it may be for only two courses: B.Sc Part I (Medical) and B.Sc Part I (Biotechnology). The college is yet to make an official announcement about it. The college has admitted as many as 70 students for B.Sc Part I (Medical) against a total of 80 seats. Twenty-five seats out of a total of 40 have been filled for the B.Sc Part I (Biotechnology) course. 

Bathinda, July 18
The Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) Teachers' Union, today took out a procession demanding that the AIE volunteers be given admission to the ETT course for the 2012-14 academic session.

President of the association, Swarna Devi stated that the Punjab government had allowed the admission of AIE volunteers for this session and demanded that the remaining volunteers should also be given admission.

She also demanded that the practice of teaching for the 2012-13 session should start from August 1 and demanded a meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal over the issue.

The union members took out rally from the Teachers' Home to the Deputy Commissioner's office and submitted a charter of demands to him. At this rally, the district president of the union from various parts of the state took part.

The union leaders have demanded from the chief minister parkash Singh Badal and education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka to intervene in the matter for resolving the issue and to admit the remaining AIE volunteers to the ETT course. The members of the union also said that earlier, they had made such a request to the chief minister and the education minister in this regard but to no avail so far.

The union has said its agitation would continue till their demands are accepted.

Bathinda, July 18
Members of the Punjab Students Union (Shaheed Randhawa) today staged a protest outside the Government Rajindra College and in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner here.

Speaking to Bathinda Tribune, the state leader of the union, Sumit Singh, said, "We are demanding that the number of seats for BA Part I be increased at the Government Rajindra College to make sure that meritorious students are not turned away. Students seek admission in government colleges because of the low fee structure, highly-qualified teachers and good standard of education." The union also demanded that the vacant posts of professors be filled at the college so as to meet the requirements of the increasing number of students seeking admission at the college.

The union is also demanding that evening classes be started at the Rajindra College at the earliest. "Students who don't get admission to day classes are ready to attend evening classes. The college should take the matter seriously," added Sumit Singh.

The union is also demanding that the ITI students be given the NCBT certificates that were promised to them at the time of admission instead of the state-level SCBT certificates.

The union also demanded that the students who had been arrested in Faridkot while they were staging a protest be released at the earliest.

Bathinda, July 18
Police teams today conducted a checking at the city bus stand.

Apart from checking the luggage of the passengers, the cops also checked the buses and vehicles parked at the stand.

The dog squad and bomb squad were pressd into action to conduct checking at other public places, including the railway station.

Police officials said a special campaign had been launched under which the public places were being scanned to keep the anti-social elements at bay and instill confidence amongst the city residents.

Amrik Singh was the in-charge of the team that conducted checking at the bus stand.

He told Bathinda Tribune that the luggage of passengers were scanned using the special equipment available with the police.

Bathinda, July 18
Assistant municipal commissioner, Kamal Kant, who has been transferred to Moga, would not be relieved soon. He would only be relieved after another official replaces him.

Municipal Commissioner, Uma Shankar Gupta, said since Kamal Kant was looking after the charge of Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) too, he has been entrusted with the work of clearing the official letters and other works at the Municipal Corporation Bathinda.

Meanwhile, the assistant commissioner, technical, PK Goyal, was transferred to Amritsar.

Bathinda, July 18
Newly-elected Congress municipal councillor from ward number 6, Iqbal Singh Dhillon, was sworn in as a municipal councillor today.

The swearing in ceremony was held at the office of the Divisional Commissioner, Raminder Singh, at Faridkot.

Dhillon was elected as an MC on June 10 defeating the SAD-BJP candidate Madhu Gargi.

During the general House meeting of the Municipal Corporation held on July 9, Dhillon had sat gone on protest against the ruling SAD-BJP alliance accusing it of not allowing him to enter the House. Dhillon would now be participating in the House meetings.

Bathinda, July 18
Two brothers have been sentenced to life imprisonment for killing their elder brother.

The court of the district and sessions judge, SK Aggarwal, awarded life imprisonment to brotehrs Gurmit Singh and Mukhtiar Singh, residents of street number 5 in Amarpura Basti, in the case of killing their elder brother, Bachitta Singh.

The accused had killed Bachittar on May 16 last year at their residence in Amarpura Basti.

The deceased Bachittar’s wife, Lakhmir Kaur, told the police that on the fateful day, Bachittar Singh was rebuking his sons for sitting idle. When his brothers, Gurmit and Mukhtiar, intervened in the matter, Bachittar asked them to remain quiet and stay out of the matter.

Irked after being reprimanded by Bachittar, they attacked him using the handle of a hand pump and an iron rod.

Bachittar succumbed to his injuries on the spot.

Apart from sentencing Gurmit and Mukhtiar to life imprisonment, the court also slapped a cash fine of `10,000 fine on the accused.

In case the duo fail to pay the fine, they will have to undergo two more years of imprisonment.

Bathinda, July 18
An expectant woman, admitted to the Sukhmani Hospital in Goniana, delivered triplets today.

According to the available information, the newborns, all males, were in pink of health. Their mother is also doing fine.

“The birth of triplets is not common but is also not rare anymore. Such a pregnancy enatils more complications, but under proper medical supervision, the mother and babies face no danger,” said a doctor.

Bathinda, July 18
Deputy Commissioner Ravi Bhagat today held a meeting with the representatives of various industrial and educational institutions for planting saplings along five main roads of the district. The saplings are to be planted under the Greening Punjab Mission of the state government. The representative of the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery, the Guru Kashi University, the Bathinda Chemicals, the HBN Group, and the Ansal-Mittal Group took part in the meeting.

The DC said the district forest officer had chalked out a plan to plant 87,000 saplings of various trees along the five main roads-- Bathinda-Dabwali, Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo, Bathinda-Malout, Kotshameer-Bhawanigarh, and Bathinda-Goniana.

According to the DC, on the Bathinda-Dabwali road, 18,000 saplings would be planted. On Bathinda-Talwandi Sabo road, 15,000 saplings would be planted while on Bathinda-Malout road, 20,000 saplings are to be planted.

Similarly, on Kotshameer-Bhawanigarh road, 28,000 saplings would be planted while on Bathinda-Goniana road, 6000 saplings would be planted. The DC said in the first phase, saplings would be planted on the Bathinda-Dabwali road and in the second phase, on the Bathinda-Malout road and Bathinda-Goniana road.

In the last phase, saplings would be planted on the Kotshameer-Bhawanigarh road, he added. — TNS

Bathinda, July 18
Condemning the 12.8 per cent hike in power tariff, district president of the Congress party (Rural) Narinder Singh Bhuleria said today that with this hike, the real face of the state government had been exposed before the people of the state.

Bhuleria said the hike in power tariff would adversely hit the power consumers, especially the poor. He said the decision of the government would ruin the industry and the trade of the state in a big way.

Bhuleria said to protest against the "anti-people" policies of the state government, including the hike in power tariff, the district unit (Rural) of the Congress would stage a dharna on July 23 in front of the Mini-secretariat here.

The dharna will be addressed among others by party MLAs, Ajaib Singh Bhatti and Jeet Mohinder Singh and former MLA Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Makhan Singh.