Bathinda, July 25
Members of the Bathinda Bar Association today burnt an effigy of the Union Law Minister, Salman Khurshid, protesting against the setting up of evening courts in the district.

Registering their protest, the lawyers boycotted all kinds of work at the district and session courts. Apart from public prosecutors, none of the other lawyers appeared for the cases scheduled for hearing today. Usually, in times of protest, a lawyer is spared to assist the court, which was not done today.

Around 1,150 members of the District Bar Association were on strike. Secretary, Gurwinder Singh Mann, said the bar associations of other districts also observed a complete strike.

In Punjab, 41 evening courts have been set up in 14 districts. From July 26 to July 28, the dharna would be observed from 9 am to 11 am daily and the strike would be observed for the entire day.

“While at other evening courts, the work of clearing traffic challans is done, Bathinda evening court is the only one to get probable cases of 138 Negotiable Instruments (NI) Act and Motor Accident Claim Tribunal (MACT), which are time consuming cases,” the advocates said.

Under the 138 NI Act evidence of bank cases, it is mandatory for the bank employees to be present for the hearing. This means any bank employee getting free at 5 pm from the office will have to wait till 7 pm for the evening courts to clear their cases, the lawyers argued.

A delegation comprising the presidents of the agitating bar associations is expected to meet the HC judges at Chandigarh tomorrow to discuss the issue.

Bathinda, July 25
The Government Rajindra College in Bathinda today opened its gates to a batch of freshers who have taken admission to various courses in the college.

An assembly was organised for all the students in the college auditorium where the principal of the college, Vijay Goyal, addressed the students and apprised them of the rules and regulations to be followed within the college premises.

The first and foremost guideline that was set for the students was about college’s zero tolerance towards ragging. “In consonance with the Supreme Court’s directive against ragging in colleges, the college strives to maintain a 100 per cent ragging-free environment within the premises. Any student caught indulging in an act of ragging will be strictly dealt with. The college encourages a congenial relationship between junior and senior students,” said the principal.

Keeping in view the increasing dependence of the youth on the mobile phones, the college has also laid down the policy that the use of cell phones within the college premises will be restricted. Students will be allowed to use cell phones in the canteen and the common room.

“Students are advised to keep their cell phones on silent mode inside the classrooms and the college premises. Playing songs on the mobile phones in the classrooms or within the college premises is not acceptable,” said the principal.

Students were also told about maintaining discipline and decorum inside the college and attend classes regularly to ensure that they have at least 75 per cent attendance by the end of the session. “We want the students to attend classes regularly. Not only will it help them in being good at studies, it will also ensure that they have enough attendance by the end of the year to facilitate their appearance for the university examination,” said the principal.

“Since the results of the university exams for various courses are yet to be declared, classes for Part II and Part III have not been started,” added the principal.

Bathinda, July 25
Despite being allocated a separate parking space outside the Bathinda railway station, the haphazardly-parked autos and private vehicles continue to create chaos around the railway station.

A traffic policeman deployed outside the railway station said despite the strict instructions given to them, the auto drivers were not willing to park their vehicles inside the allocated parking area.

There is a paid parking area on the premises of the railway station. This area is designated for the city residents to park their private vehicles. Another parking area, outside the eating joints, has been allocated for the autos.

The constable added that he was unable to issue a challan to any of the wrongly-parked vehicle outside the railway station since the senior police functionaries had been told to deploy a head constable or a police official with powers to issue a challan to streamline the traffic situation outside the railway station.

“Ever since the city’s traffic police started towing away the wrongly-parked vehicles, the traffic situation outside the station has eased a bit. But the autos parked by the roadside still lead to jams,” said Gogi Bassi, a shopkeeper.

He added that although three signboards had come up around the railway station to direct the autos to the parking area, the auto drivers continued to park their vehicles by the roadside.

While admitting that autos parked outside the railway station were adding to the traffic nuisance, president of the Railway Station Auto Union, Naanu, said those auto drivers were not a part of the union.

“We have 40 autos at the railway station and there is space of parking 35 autos inside the railway station," Naanu said. He said the drivers were required to pay to park their autos at the designated parking area. He also added that nearly 200 autos kept shuttling between various bus stands and the railway station.

ASP City-II, Kuldip Chahal assured that steps would be taken to issue challans to the wrongly-parked autos outside the railway station to ease out the traffic chaos, especially during the peak hours.

Bathinda, July 25
The graph of bicycle sale is steadily going northwards in the city. As per the data given by a section of cycle dealers in the city, as many as 1,000 cycles are sold every month in Bathinda.

While the reasons for the residents opting to buy cycles may vary from the hike in fuel price to health benefits, cycle dealers in the city are laughing all the way to the bank.

Kamaljit Mehta, owner of Mehta Cycle Store, said sedentary lifestyle, inability to take out time to exercise, increasing fuel prices and the city traffic police’s drive against traffic rule violators may have led to an increase in the sales.

“We have witnessed a rise in the sales in the past one year and the sales are increasing steadily,” Mehta said.

He added that the bicycle manufacturers have come up with new models with added features. The bicycles may cost anywhere between `3,200 and `25,000.

Om Parkash Gupta, owner of Punjab Bicycles, said they also try to convince the parents or grandparents to buy bicycles for themselves as well whenever they come to purchase bicycles for the kids.

“We tell them about the health benefits of cycling. We also offer to take back the bicycle if they fail to feel any changes,” he said.

Gupta added that at the age of 56, he himself started cycling in the morning and now paddles for six kilometers everyday. “Two of my neighbours also join me and we cycle around the city every morning. It helps us in reducing weight,” he said.

He pointed out that while elderly persons opted for simple models of bicycles, starting from `3,200, the youngsters preferred lightweight bicycles that had disc brakes and up to 18 gears. These are priced between `5,000 and `13,000.

Gupta also added that many IT professionals, doctors, clerks and others had started purchasing bicycles to keep fit. “I know some persons who have started using cycles instead of cars to go to their offices,” he said.

Pawan Kumar, owner of Ambay Cycles, said bicycles made in China were also flooding the city markets now.

“These China-made bicycles have aluminum wheels and are fitted with gears. Aluminum body makes these cycles lightweight and easy to paddle. We tell the customers that these cycles don’t cost even half of what a motorcycle or a scooter would cost them. Cycles also demand almost negligible maintenance,” Kumar said.

Bathinda, July 25
Government offices and private institutions in the district do not appear to be serious towards checking smoking at public places as barring some officials of the health department, no official of any other department or institution has sent report about the challans issued in June to the violators of the provisions of Tobacco Control Act and the Rules, to the health authorities.

However, some officials have informed the district health authorities about the appointment of nodal officers for this purpose.

It may be mentioned that during the month of June, the district health authorities had issued challan books to 34 heads of various government offices and the private institutions for issuing challans to those found smoking at public places. This was done to prevent the people from smoking at public places so that the district could get the status of smoke-free district and awareness could be created among the people against smoking at public places.

On behalf of the Deputy Commissioner, a reminder was issued on July 9 to the heads of the government offices and the institutions concerned to send the name of the nodal officer to the district TB officer in two days.

Apart from this, the offices and the institutions were also told to send the reports of challans, issued to the violators, and the reports of the amount of fines, received from the violators.

Talking to this reporter here today, assistant nodal officer for the Tobacco Control Programme and district TB officer Dr Ashok Monga said as the district health authorities had not received any reply from most of the offices and the institutions about the name of the nodal officer and the challans issued to the violators, the office of the Civil Surgeon had issued a letter today to the offices and the institutions to send the report in this regard immediately.

Dr Monga said the letter asks the offices and the institutions concerned to send the reports about the challans and the amounts, collected as fines, to the district TB officer on the fifth day of every month so that the information could be forwarded to the Deputy Commissioner.

He said earlier, they had sought reports of challans, issued to the violators in the month of June.

The officials who have been sent the letter today belong to the health department, police department, administration, Army, Air Force, Municipal Corporation, excise and taxation, education, agriculture, thermal plant and PWD, among others. 

Bathinda, July 25
The teachers employed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) today held a meeting at the Teachers' Home here in Bathinda.

During the meeting, it was decided that the members the SSA-RMSA unions of 17 districts will come together and hold a state-level meeting in Ludhiana on July 29. A meeting will be held prior to that to review the preparations for the rally.

The union has been protesting against the delay in salaries, and the government's apathetic attitude towards their demands like hike in pay scale and regularisation of jobs. "Forget about doing something about our long-pending demands, the government has gone ahead and withdrawn our 15 earned leaves as well," said the state committee member, Harjit Singh Jidda.

During the meeting, the members alleged that the government was delaying the release of the detailed progressive report (DPR) according to which the hike in their salaries was to be decided. "Another major issue related to our salaries is the fact that we have not been paid the salaries for the last two months," said Jidda.

The union is also demanding that the eight teachers in Moga who were handed out the termination letters be reinstated as soon as possible. "The reason for terminating their jobs is not clear. Since we did not get any satisfactory reply to our queries, we are demanding that the teachers be given their jobs back," said Jidda.

During the meeting, the members of the union also criticised many of the policies of the education department. This included the department's decision to close the schools where the number of students was less and that the transfers of the teachers this year would be made as per their wishes, but after that the transferred teachers would have to work at their place of postings for at least three years.

Those present during the meeting included, Ratanjot Sharma, Manjit Singh Bajak, Aparpar Singh, Pradip Singh, Jagseer Singh, Kulwinder Singh, Yashpal, Maninder Singh, Sarabhjit Singh, Jagjeet Singh, Harsimran Singh, Harwinder Singh, Harjit Singh, Jasvir Singh, Kamal Sharma and Bhapinder Singh.

Bathinda, July 25
The General Categories Welfare Federation (GCWF) has demanded that candidates in the reserved category, who have filled the seats of the general category, should be barred from availing the benefits of the reserved category in future.

In a press statement issued here today, the chief organizer of the Federation, Shyam Lal Sharma, stated that reservation should be need-based and not caste-based. He said in the M Nagaraj vs Government of India case, the Supreme Court directed that people from the reserved categories can be given the benefit of reservation in promotion only when there is less number of similar candidates from the same category.

He pointed that taking advantage of reservation repeatedly in terms of promotion, candidates from the reserved category become senior to the general category candidates. "But now, after the SC verdict, no junior reserved category candidate can be promoted and made senior in this way,” he said.

He said there are 1230 principals under the PSEB of which 408 comprise the SC candidates whereas as per the 14 per cent quota norm, there should be only 172 SC principals.

Bathinda, July 25
Teej celebrations would be held on August 4 at Model Town phase III where Surjit Kaur Maluka, wife of education minister Sikandar Singh Maluka, would be the guest of honour. Chief parliamentary secretary Sarup Chand Singla's wife Urmila Singla will also be present on the occasion along with Amarjit Kaur, wife of MLA (rural), Darshan Singh Kotfatta.

Different contests in folk songs and dances would be held on the occasion. Entries for the same would be entertained till August 1. — TNS

Bathinda, July 25
Police have booked three persons for beating up a resident of Kothe Kaur Singh Wala (Albu), village. The complainant, Iqbal Singh, said the accused, Sukhchain Singh Gurjant Singh and Harchand Singh, started beating him up over a trivial issue near the liquor vend of their village. Iqbal Singh was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was treated for internal injuries.

A case has been registered against the accused for inflicting injuries upon the complainant under sections 342, 323, 324 and 34 of the IPC at the Nehianwala police station. No arrests have been made so far.

One arrested with 50 kg of country-made liquor

Police have arrested a resident of Khokhar village with 50 kg of lahan (country-made liquor). The accused, Makhan Singh, was found carrying the lahan near Khokhar village. He was arrested on the basis of a tip-off provided to the police by an informer. The accused was brought to the Balianwali police station where he was booked under sections 61, 1, 14 of the Excise Act.

Woman, four others booked for assault

Police have booked a woman and four men for beating up a resident of Gillpatti village. The complainant in the case, Resham Singh, said he was attacked by Ram Singh Raja, Chhinder Kaur and three unidentified persons at the behest of Chhinder Kaur. The complainant said he is fighting a legal battle against the accused in the court because of which they attacked and injured him.

He was rushed to the local Civil Hospital where his statements were recorded by the police. A case under sections 325, 323, 34 and 120-B of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the Phul police station.

Pathrala resident booked for issuing threats

Police have booked a resident of Pathrala village for on the charge of threatening his brother-in-law with a country-made pistol. The complainant Baldeep Singh of Gehri Bhagi village said his sister is married to the accused Najar Singh of Pathrala village for the last 20 years and had been harassing his sister after consuming liquor. Baldeep said he was contacted by his sister over the everyday quarrels at her house and when he tried to intervene his brother-in-law started beating up his sister.

When he tried to stop his brother-in-law, he took out a country-made pistol and threatened him with dire consequences. Police have registered a case against the accused under sections 323, 506 and 25, 54, 59 of the Arms Act at the Sangat police station. No arrests have been made so far.

Three booked for attacking youth with knife

Police have booked three persons for attacking a youth from Talwandi Sabo. In a complaint to the police, Kamaljit Singh said Karanvir Singh, Bittu Ram and Jaswinder Singh attacked and injured him with a knife. The complainant accused the assailants of injuring him as his father entered into a heated argument with them around five months ago. Police have registered a case under sections 324 and 34 of the IPC at Talwandi Sabo against the three accused for further investigations.

Two arrested with 10 kg poppy husk

Police have arrested two persons with ten kilograms of poppy husk. The accused have been identified as Satpal Singh and Krishan Singh of Desu Malkana village. They were arrested from near Mainuana village on the basis of a tip-off provided to the cops at the Talwandi police station.

A case under sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at the Talwandi police station. In a similar case, police arrested Kaka Singh of Bagha village for possessing 10 kg poppy husk. A case under sections 15, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act has been registered against the accused at the Rama police station.

One booked for beating up woman

Police have booked one person for beating up a woman. In a complaint to the police, Kirna Devi of Bagha village said the accused had beaten up his mother using a sharp-edged instrument following a domestic dispute in Bagha village.

Police have registered a case under sections 324 and 323 of the IPC at the Rama police station.

Two arrested with smack

Police have arrested two persons with 10 grams of smack. The accused, Deepak of Maur Mandi and Sandeep of Power House Road, were booked under sections 21, 61, 85 of the NDPS Act at the Rama police station.