Bathinda, July 26
A “ghost scare” at the deer safari at Bir Talab is discouraging contractors from undertaking the construction of the boundary wall of the safari that had collapsed in June this year owing to a breach in the Sirhind Canal.

On June 8, a breach in the Sirhind Canal had led the villagers to knock down the newly-constructed boundary wall of the deer safari fearing that the water may enter their fields. Since then, the forest department has been trying to arrange for funds to initiate the construction of the wall.

However, the work may not find many takers. “Earlier too, the project was completed after a lot of problems. Labourers working here, who spent a couple of nights at the safari, complained of ghosts,” said sources in the forest department. For two months, work on the project remained stalled as no labourer was ready to work in the “ghost-infested” area. They complained of hearing strange noises and a sense of panic prevailed in the after-dark hours.

“That was the most difficult time for us. We informed the public works department officials of the hitch and requested that the deadline for the project be extended by two months,” said contractor Tarsem Kumar, who wrote an official letter mentioning ghosts as the main cause of delay in the work.

The contractor then had to arrange for temporary hutments for the labourers around three kms away from the safari. The land was taken on rent from a farmer and labourers were ferried daily in tractors. None of the labourers worked after it turned dark. “The work was completed by May 30 and we heaved a sigh of relief,” added Tarsem.

With the wall collapsing again, the department is now arranging for funds and soon tenders would be invited for constructing the wall. “We don’t expect contractors to take over the work willingly. It is a cumbersome task to employ labourers who believe in superstitions,” pointed out another forest official.

Meanwhile, the divisional forest officer, K Kannan, said he was aware of the hearsay. “There are no ghosts but a few anti-social elements that do not want development work to be initiated in the area. Since the area has wild trees and shrubs, it makes for an ideal hideout for these anti-social elements,” he said.

Bathinda, July 26
The auction of 22 unipoles installed in the city, for collecting funds for Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) through advertising, was postponed once again today.

Embroiled in controversy, this is the second time the auction had to be put off owing to protest by the bidders. Earlier, the bidders under the banner of Bathinda Outdoors Advertisers Association had boycotted the proceedings on July 12 demanding that the illegally-installed hoardings be removed first.

Today, four bidders participated in the auction. While three bidders had deposited the `10 lakh earnest money, the fourth bidder had deposited only half of the amount. The fourth bidder, however, made an excuse saying he be allowed to participate as his friend was on way with the rest of the earnest money.

“We argued that either bidding be delayed till the money of the fourth bidder arrives or he shouldn’t be allowed to participate in the bidding at all,” said Rajiv Bansal, one of the bidders.

The other bidders were bidding at `15,700 per unipole per month when the fourth bidder raised the amount to `18,000. The other three bidders opposed this and staged a boycott of the proceedings.

Other bidders objected to the process saying the earnest money cannot be taken while the auction was in process. The bidders even accused assistant commissioner Kamal Kant of favouritism. An infuriated Kamal Kant left the meeting in between.

Senior Deputy Mayor, Tarsem Goyal, who is also a member of the advertising committee, tried to intervene and pacify the bidders, but to no avail.

When contacted later, Tarsem Goyal said the auction had been postponed owing to issues with the bidders. “Last time, bidders had demanded that the earnest amount be reduced from `10 lakh to `5 lakh. We discussed this but did not issue any notification about decreasing the amount. The fourth bidder, presuming that the earnest money had been halved, brought `5 lakh only. He later deposited another `5 lakh, which the other bidders objected to,” he added.

Besides the assistant commissioner and the senior deputy mayor, municipal councillor Raju Sood and MCB officials were also present at the meeting.

Unipoles are to be installed at:

• 10 at Mall road
• Two each at Bibiwala Chowk and opposite the bus stand
• One each at Rose Garden Chowk, Goniana Road, Post office Mal Godam road, medicine market near railway station, Fauji Chowk, Bibiwala road near DAV College, opposite ICICI Bank 100 feet road and Bibiwala Road
• The size of each unipole is 20 feet X 20 feet
• Every time corporation advertises for auction, it has to pay `50,000 for placing ads in the newspapers.
• Already Rs 1 lakh has been spent on this.

Bathinda, july 26
After increasing power tariff with effect from April 2012, the Punjab Government has announced a fresh burden on the common man in the form of professional tax. The professional tax will be imposed on the self-employed and the professionals with as small an income as `1 lakh per annum. Going by simple mathematics, this would mean that someone earning even `8,500 per month will also have to pay tax now. Nikhila Pant Dhawan spoke to a cross-section of people to know their views about the state government’s latest move and this is what they had to say:

After accepting the bouquets for presenting a balanced annual budget, the Punjab government has been imposing fresh taxes on the common man every other day. Instead of adding to the burden of the common man by imposing taxes and increasing tariffs of various services, the government should think of other ways to fill its coffers. To begin with, it should scrap the subsidies it is giving to industries. Professional tax will turn a low-income professional into a pauper.

- PP Maheshwary, former president, District Tax Bar Association

This is a quick jerk reaction that the SAD-BJP government has given to the residents of Punjab. Only a fortnight after it increased the power tariff, it has now imposed professional tax. Shockingly, those earning a mere `1 lakh per annum will also come under the purview of this tax. The concept of imposing tax was introduced to help the government stand on its feet but the state government is exploiting the concept as its hobby.

- Satish Arora, president, Bathinda Hotels, Resorts and Restaurant Association

Self-employed and small shopkeepers are somehow making their ends meet. Imposing a fresh tax on them will add to their burden. We had recently held a meeting to protest against the government’s move. Apart from paying sales tax, VAT, house tax, water, house and sewer tax, now a layman will have to pay professional tax as well. The state government had recently increased the power tariff as well. The government should also think about how a professional, who is earning `1 lakh per annum, would manage to pay professional tax?

- Kartar Singh Jaura, chairman, Punjab Pradesh Vyapar Mandal (Kapoor)

Professional tax has come as a shocker after the hike in power tariff. This tax will burn a hole in everyone’s pocket. All kinds of professionals will have to pay this tax. Bringing the professionals earning even `1 lakh per annum into the tax bracket is something which is not acceptable. The effect of this tax will also percolate down to the lowest strata of society. Services will become even costlier. The government should not rely on imposing taxes to improve the state’s financial condition.

- Pankaj Arora, tax consultant

Bathinda, July 26
An aspiring sportsperson, who turned into a snatcher for the lack of employment opportunities, has been arrested by the police. Police also recovered a cash stash of `4.30 lakh from his possession.

Gagandeep (35), who belongs to a middle class family residing in Model Town Phase-1, has a Certificate in Physical Education from the Kurukshetra University.

Unable to get any employment after completing the certificate course, he apparently decided to put his physical fitness to use and opted for snatchings. He also allegedly got hooked to various habit-forming substances.

Kotwali SHO, Jaspal Singh, said the accused started snatching bags from people putside the State Bank of Patiala (SBoP). Elaborating on Gagandeep’s modus operandi, Singh said he used to keep a watch on women withdrawing money from the bank and used to chase them on his bike and snatch their bags away.

Narrating the incident which led to his arrest, Singh said on July 20, Paramjit Kaur had withdrawn `3.5 lakh from the Civil Lines branch of the SBoP. She was accompanied by her nephew who stepped out of the car to buy stationary from a book store. Losing no time, Gagandeep inched closer to the car, opened the driver’s door and sped away after snatching Paramjit’s bag.

A case was registered in this regard at the Kotwali police station. The nephew, Kulwinder Singh, saw the snatcher roaming in the area today and brought the matter to the notice of ASI Narinder Kumar, investigating officer in the case.

The policeman arrested the suspect and brought him to the police station where he was interrogated on charges of snatching the bag containing `3.5 lakh. During interrogation, he admitted that he had snatched Paramjit’s bag.

He also shared details of three other snatchings that he had done outside the bank. He admitted that earlier, he had snatched `8,000, `20,000 and `25,000 from three women after they withdrew money from the bank.

A case under various sections of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the Kotwali police station.

Bathinda, July 26
After the ban on red beacons atop vehicles, it is the blue beacons that are finding favour as the new status symbol for the wannabes in the city. Vehicles fitted with a blue beacon are becoming a common sight in the city with the police failing to check their unauthorised use.

With no specific guidelines available either with the office of the District Transport Officer or the traffic police, those who use the blue beacon to flaunt their proximity to the powers that be, are having a free run.

Traffic police officials said they failed to find even a single offender using a blue beacon during the last six months. While residents complain that many people are using blue beacons without any authority, even youngsters could be seen driving such vehicles in the city at various places.

City traffic in-charge Ranjit Singh said the list of gazetted officers authorised to use the blue beacon is very long and so far, the traffic police has failed to find even a single offender in the last six months.

When asked about those who are authorised to use the blue beacon, he said the list includes the SHOs, SDMs, first class judicial magistrate, tehsildar and executive magistrates, among others. He said those who have been authorised may also use the blue beacon on their private vehicles.

"Blue beacon on a vehicle has now become a status symbol and many people, no matter whether they are authorised or not, are using the blue beacon. Though the police is cracking the whip on traffic rule violators, many vehicles fitted with the blue beacon are moving on city roads without any check," said Tarsem, a local resident.

The blue beacons are also fitted on vehicles used in emergencies and ambulances. City traffic officials said they would soon launch a drive against the illegal use of blue beacons and would issue challans to the violators.

Bathinda, July 26
Delhi Public School, Bathinda is celebrating Environment Week from July 26 to August 2. As part of it, tiny tots of the school planted saplings and took out a rally in the school campus. The drive is aimed at making the students aware about the issue. An inter-school debate competition is also being organised at the school on Friday. During the debate, students will share the concerns about the depletion of environmental resources.

Under the Haryali project initiated by the Punjab government, 350 saplings were planted by Sadabahar Eco Club in association with the Block Development and Panchayat Officer, Bathinda, at the Government Middle School, Phoos Mandi.

Showering praises on the initiative, sarpanch Lakhwinder Jeet Singh Happy planted the first sapling. A teacher at the school, Kulwinder Singh, said 400 saplings had already been planted in the campus.

Aiming at spreading awareness about the need to take care of the environment for healthy living, teachers and students of the SSD Girls' College planted saplings in the college campus today.

Bathinda, July 26
Four unidentified women and a man snatched the earrings of a woman on the pretext of offering her lift while she was waiting for public transport near Bibi Wala Chowk.

The victim, Paramjit Kaur, a resident of Sangrur, said the accused offered her lift in their car, which was being driven by a man.

The complainant said the moment she refused to sit in the car, the accused snatched her gold earrings weighing nearly 7 grams and worth Rs 14,500. The incident left her injured.

The complainant was rushed to a nearby hospital where the police recorded her statements and registered a case under sections 356 and 34 of the IPC at the Cantonment police station. — TNS