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Inadequate power supply
Farmers gherao XEN in Rampura
Bathinda, July 24
Protesting against major power cuts in Rampura area, members and activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) and the BKU (Ugrahan) today gheraoed an executive engineer (XEN) of the Powercom and his office for more than six hours at Rampura, about 30 km from here.

Criminals escaping police custody
Faridkot cops get lessons in not falling prey to allurements
Faridkot, July 24
The police here has been getting lessons against falling for allurements offered by criminals lodged in the modern jail here. After increasing incidents of criminals escaping from the police custody while being escorted to places for hearing in court cases.

2 cancer deaths in Dangarkhera
Abohar, July 24
Two more women have died of breast cancer in Dangarkhera village near here during the past two days. Confirming this, Girdhari Lal, the husband of sarpanch Maam Kauri, said both the women had been travelling by the “cancer train” to avail treatment from the hospital at Bikaner.

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	Inadequate power supply Farmers gherao XEN in Rampura Sushil Goyal Tribune News Service Bathinda, July 24 Protesting against major power cuts in Rampura area, members and activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) and the BKU (Ugrahan) today gheraoed an executive engineer (XEN) of the Powercom and his office for more than six hours at Rampura, about 30 km from here. The protesters lifted the gherao at about 4.30 pm when they were reportedly assured by the XEN that the authorities would ensure proper power supply to the area, except for the power cuts imposed by the Powercom headquarters. Senior vice-president of the BKU (Sidhupur) Kaka Singh Kotra and district senior vice-president of the BKU (Ugrahan) Mothu Singh Kotra led the protesters, who also raised slogans in support of their demands, including eight-hour power supply to tube-well motors and 24-hour power supply to domestic consumers. Before the dharna was lifted, the Powercom officials and BKU leaders held a meeting to resolve the issue. Among those who participated in the meeting included the Rampura DSP RS Mann, Rampura city SHO Angrez Singh, XEN Ranjit Singh and leaders of farmer unions Kaka Singh Kotra and Mothu Singh Kotra. Kaka Singh Kotra told TNS that the leaders and members of the BKU (Sidhupur) and the BKU (Ugrahan) visited the office of the XEN this morning regarding major power cuts imposed in the area due to which they were getting power supply for their tube-well motors for only four hours a day. Likewise, major power cuts were also being imposed on domestic consumers. Kotra said they spoke to the XEN to improve the power supply but his reply was not satisfactory. Following this, the XEN and his office were gheraoed. The protest continued from 10 am to 4.45 pm. He said they lifted the dharna after a meeting with the officials in which they assured them of improving the power supply. Bare facts Members and activists of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Sidhupur) and the BKU (Ugrahan) gherao the XEN of the Powercom and his office for six hours. They alleged that major power cuts were being imposed in the area due to which they were getting power supply for their tube-well motors for only four hours a day. Demand eight-hour power supply to tube-well motors and 24-hour supply to domestic connections. The gherao ended only after Powercom officials assured them of improving the power supply.
	Criminals escaping police custody Faridkot cops get lessons in not falling prey to allurements Balwant Garg Tribune News Service Faridkot, July 24 The police here has been getting lessons against falling for allurements offered by criminals lodged in the modern jail here. After increasing incidents of criminals escaping from the police custody while being escorted to places for hearing in court cases, the police has started special training/classes for the cops cautioning them against falling prey to fancy gifts and other allurements offered by criminals. Though there have been five incidents of criminals fleeing during the last eight months after opening of the modern central jail, what stirred the police authorities into action was a two-week old incident wherein four Faridkot cops had fallen prey to an offer of a hardcore criminal to buy fancy apparels at his expense. As a result, the criminal escaped and the erring cops are now cooling their heels in jail. “So, there was an urgent need to sensitise the policemen against falling for allurements by criminals or their associates,” said Faridkot SSP Gurmit Singh Chauhan. Before the opening of the modern jail here, the area police was not used to dealing with hardcore criminals. But now, the police has to escort such dreaded criminals to far off places and even to other states for hearing in court cases, and some naive policemen easily fall prey to allurements, said the SSP. A SP and DSP ranked officer are on the job to educate and sensitise the cops on dealing with astute criminals. They should not accept any eatable from them and should not allow them to use mobile and telephones, said the SSP. The Faridkot jail has over 25 hardcore criminals from UP, Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana and over 800 inmates from distant areas. In absence of vehicles, the cops face problems in taking these criminals to other districts and states for hearing in court cases. Many a times, they have to rely on buses and trains. “We have raised the matter with the higher authorities and hope that solution to the problem would be found soon,” said the SSP.
	2 cancer deaths in Dangarkhera Residents of the village, prone to the dreaded disease, resent govt apathy Raj Sadosh Abohar, July 24 Two more women have died of breast cancer in Dangarkhera village near here during the past two days. Confirming this, Girdhari Lal, the husband of sarpanch Maam Kauri, said both the women had been travelling by the “cancer train” to avail treatment from the hospital at Bikaner. The deceased have been identified as Roshani Devi and Chanderawali, sister-in-law of the sarpanch. The residents of the village regretted that the state government had not come to the rescue of the patients even when Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, during a specially organised Sangat Darshan here on April 22, 2011, had expressed concern over the death of a dozen cancer patients during the past few years. The residents claimed the CM had assured that the Heath Department would organise a camp in the village to shortlist the patients for treatment at a super-specialty hospital but nothing was done. The CM had also promised that a water treatment plant would be installed at the pond here, which too has not come up. The panchayat had engaged volunteers to take up the long-pending cleaning of the main pond. It is worth mentioning that the highest number of breast cancer patients was detected in the village in July, 2010. During a door-to-door survey conducted by the health department, 12 cancer patients were detected while the death of a dozen patients during the past few years was confirmed; six had died in 2009-10. On October 4, 2010, a team of the Roko Cancer, a UK-based organisation, visited the village to conduct a survey to assess the number of residents, especially women, who have been suffering from carcinogenic diseases. About 75 women were examined and 25 suspected cases of cancer were detected who later underwent mammography. A team of state Health Department also visited the village and had given symptomatic treatment to the suspected patients. However, there had been no follow up, either by the Roko Cancer or the state government, the villagers resented.
	Govt mulling hospital at Dharmkot, says MLA Kulwinder Sandhu/TNS Moga, July 24 Former agriculture minister and MLA Jathedar Tota Singh said the state government had accorded top priority to providing clean potable water in the state, particularly in the Malwa belt where traces of uranium were found in groundwater. He was at Kishanpura Kalan village in Dharamkot sub-division of this district today to inaugurate a reverse osmosis (RO) plant. The sarpanches of many villages and other local Akali leaders were present. He said the state government had already decided to test groundwater in the villages and towns of the state so that RO plants could be installed wherever necessary. Tota Singh said the government was also considering opening a government hospital with modern medical facilities at Dharamkot, which was considered a backward area for the past many decades. While asking the farmers to avoid excess use of fertilisers, he said the government would soon launch a massive drive to check industrial effluents flowing into the Sutlej. The effluents had polluted the groundwater in the Dharamkot sub-division, which is situated along the river. “The industrial effluents have rendered the underground water unfit for human consumption. It is brackish and highly contaminated with fluoride and other toxic chemicals,” he said.
	Sarpanch suspended for felling trees sans permission Our Correspondent Fazilka, July 24 The sarpanch of Lamochar Kalan has been placed under suspension for felling trees at the government school in the village without getting the mandatory permission from the Forest Department. According to the details available, panchayat members Jagjit Kumar and Sunil Kumar alleged that the sarpanch, Shingara Singh, had got the trees axed without getting permission from the Forest Department officials, adding that neither the notice to sell the trees was circulated nor the auction was conducted. The Fazilka district administration conducted an inquiry into the allegations and found that the norms were flouted. On the basis of the report of the district authorities, the director, Development and Panchayat Department, placed the sarpanch under suspension. Shingara Singh said the panchayat had received a grant of `5 lakh for constructing rooms at the government school. He said though trees were axed, they were not sold yet.