B A T H I N D A    E D I T I O N

Electrician hired by Powercom linemen killed
Mansa, July 29
A private electrician allegedly deployed by some linemen of the Powercom for assistance lost his life while carrying out repair work on an electric pole in Khaira Kalan village of Sardulgarh in Mansa.

A huge crowd gathered at the site of the mishap in Mansa district.

Shops on lease: BDPOs to recover rent
Moga, July 29
The rural development and panchayat department has failed to recover the rent of more than 75 shops, which were leased out by the panchayat samitis, a few years back.

Pension denied to villagers at Akali sarpanch’s ‘behest’
Muktsar, July 29
The district social security office has stopped old-age pension of nearly 100 people of Maha Badhar village allegedly at the behest of an Akali sarpanch. The villagers recently visited the District Administrative Complex (DAC) along with their voter cards as a proof of age, but they were shocked to see that their names no longer appear in the list of beneficiaries.

Packed school vehicles flout rules in Faridkot
Faridkot, July 29
Schoolchildren packed like sardines in autorickshaws, rickshaws and vans are too common a sight to escape one's eyes. Six months back, an overcrowded school van collided with a truck near Ambala in Haryana, snuffling out the lives of 12 schoolchildren.

Youth booked for trying to molest Dalit girl
Faridkot, July 29
Police have booked a youth for allegedly attempting to molest an eight-year-old Dalit girl in Gujjar village of Faridkot district. After receiving a complaint from the father of the girl and the village panchayat, the police registered a criminal case under Section 354 and 451 of IPC against Joginder Singh. The crime is punishable with two-year jail term.

One killed as land dispute turns violent
Fazilka, July 29
An elderly person was killed and over a dozen persons, including a woman, injured in a clash between members of a family in village Ghurka today in the morning. According to police sources and eyewitnesses, a dispute between Darshan Singh and his cousin Desa Singh, residents of village Ghurka arose over the measurement of their land and a road which passes through it.

 Electrician hired by Powercom linemen killed
Had been brought for assistance; Mansa DC orders inquiry, announces compensation 
Gurdeep Singh Mann
Tribune News Service

Mansa, July 29
A private electrician allegedly deployed by some linemen of the Powercom for assistance lost his life while carrying out repair work on an electric pole in Khaira Kalan village of Sardulgarh in Mansa.

The incident took place at noon today when the Powercom officials inadvertently released power into the cables being repaired by the hired electrician.

Irate over the negligence of the officials, over a thousand villagers from the surrounding areas gathered at the site with bricks and sticks in their hands.

The situation was controlled by deploying heavy police force in the area. The villagers were pacified after the Mansa DC and SSP intervened.

The deceased, 24-year-old Amandeep Singh of Jhanda Kalan village was working with the linemen for the last five years. He used to earn some extra money by extending a helping hand to the Powercom officials.

Senior functionaries of the Powercom who reached the place said there seemed to be no official orders for the deployment of the electrician and the linemen used to get assistance on their own. Amandeep, who belongs to a poor family, was told to repair the wire without snapping the power connection. The villagers alleged that the switches used to disconnect the power were out of service and the lineman standing below failed to switch off the power before initiating the repair work.

Vicky, a close friend of the deceased said Amandeep was electrocuted a few minutes after starting the work. DC Amit Dhaka and SSP Harpreet Singh who rushed to the spot, pacified the villagers and announced compensation to the family members of the deceased.

Later, Dhaka said an inquiry has been marked by him. A case under sections 304 and 34 of the IPC has been registered at the Sardulgarh police station against two Powercom officials. The government announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the family members of the deceased and promised to offer government job to a family member.

 Shops on lease: BDPOs to recover rent
Kulwinder Sandhu
Tribune News Service

Moga, July 29
The rural development and panchayat department has failed to recover the rent of more than 75 shops, which were leased out by the panchayat samitis, a few years back.

These shops are located at the district headquarters and other townships in Moga district. An estimated amount of Rs 2 crore is pending for recovery.

When contacted, District Development and Panchayat Officer (DDPO)-cum-Collector Ranbir Singh Mudhal admitted that lakhs of rupees were pending for recovery for the last many years.

The DDPO said he had asked all the Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs) to take steps immediately for the recovery of the rent. Otherwise, a detailed report of the negligence in duty on their part would be send to the higher authorities for necessary action against them. "I have started preparing a proper record of the shops after summoning the revenue record from the concerned revenue authorities so that legal action could be taken for the recovery of rents," he said.

As per the latest record compiled by the DDPO, a sum of Rs 18.95 lakh was due as on March 31, 2012 against 12 shops which were leased out in the tehsil complex at the district headquarters. Another sum of Rs 5.21 lakh was also to be deposited by these shopkeepers for getting the lease extended for the current year.

Interestingly, many of the tenants had further leased out these shops illegally. One of the shops originally leased out to Om Parkash is now in the possession of Surjit Singh. Another shop leased out to one Gurpal Singh is being run by Pooran Singh without permission.

A sum of Rs 5.52 lakh is due against eight persons who got the shops on lease at tempo union near the railway lines in Moga town while a sum of Rs 32.23 lakh, including the current financial year, is pending for recovery against 20 shops leased out at the Dussehra ground near the telephone exchange.

Similarly, a sum of Rs 14.5 lakh is due against 24 shopkeepers in the New Market, Main Bazaar; Rs 1.77 lakh against seven shopkeepers of Ajitwal and another Rs 5.35 lakh against 19 shopkeepers, also of Ajiwal township.

The reports of Baghapurana, Dharamkot and Nihalsinghwala sub-divisions were still being compiled. Mudhal said he would take action under the Punjab Public Premises and Land (Eviction and Rent Recovery) Act, 1973 against the 'errant' shopkeepers for the recovery of rent. "We will also take action for eviction of the shops that have been sub-leased by the original tenants," he added. 

 Pension denied to villagers at Akali sarpanch’s ‘behest’
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Muktsar, July 29
The district social security office has stopped old-age pension of nearly 100 people of Maha Badhar village allegedly at the behest of an Akali sarpanch. The villagers recently visited the District Administrative Complex (DAC) along with their voter cards as a proof of age, but they were shocked to see that their names no longer appear in the list of beneficiaries.

“We are also Akalis. But we are against our sarpanch. We did not cast votes in his favour in the recently held panchayat elections. He has now turned revengeful. He not only got our pensions blocked but also got our names deleted from the list of beneficiaries,” alleged 74-year-old Gurnam Singh.

Similarly, Surender Singh, who is 71 years old as per his voter card, said: “We were earlier getting the benefit. But this month, we were told that our names have been deleted from the list of pensioners to rectify some discrepancies.”

Similarly, several others, including some women, showed passbooks of their savings bank accounts as a proof of getting pension in the past. They demanded that the department must conduct a fresh survey to verify genuine beneficiaries. They alleged some undeserving people in the village were being given the benefit.

District Social Security Officer Rajwinder Singh Gill said: “I will check the records. If some genuine beneficiaries have been deprived of the benefit, their names will be added to the list”.

Earlier, the department had deleted names of 9,345 pensioners after a survey by declaring them disqualified. 

 Packed school vehicles flout rules in Faridkot
Balwant Garg/TNS

Faridkot, July 29
Schoolchildren packed like sardines in autorickshaws, rickshaws and vans are too common a sight to escape one's eyes. Six months back, an overcrowded school van collided with a truck near Ambala in Haryana, snuffling out the lives of 12 schoolchildren.

But once this incident faded from public memory, overcrowded autos, vans and rickshaws, carrying school-children, have returned on the roads. Without any fear of law, school vehicles are flouting Section 192 (A) of the Motor Vehicles Act which allows only three adults or four minors in an autorickshaw.

Not even a single autorickshaw, school van or rickshaw has been issued a challan for this violation till now. "We have received no complaint in this regard," said a senior functionary in the district transport department in Faridkot.

After the Ambala incident, Punjab government also issued a 'customary' direction to the police and transport department to take strict legal action against those violating the law but six month down the line, there is no action against any violator. The trend of squeezing children in school vehicles continues unabated.

In the afternoon, when the school closes, there are many instances when a bag or water bottle falls on the road due to the overcrowded vehicles.

Parents prefer autorickshaws or tempos as they are cheaper but the problem for the drivers and owners of these vehicles is that most of the parents indulge in a lot of bargaining while fixing the monthly charges.

"Most never care about the number of children in our autos but are highly attentive to fixing the monthly charges," said Ramesh Kumar, the driver of an autorickshaw.

"If the parents pay us adequate charges, we have no objection to cutting down the number of children in an auto-rickshaw," he said.

School officials also wash their hands off the matter saying they are responsible for the child's safety only on the school premises.

  Youth booked for trying to molest Dalit girl

Faridkot, July 29
Police have booked a youth for allegedly attempting to molest an eight-year-old Dalit girl in Gujjar village of Faridkot district. After receiving a complaint from the father of the girl and the village panchayat, the police registered a criminal case under Section 354 and 451 of IPC against Joginder Singh. The crime is punishable with two-year jail term.

 One killed as land dispute turns violent
Our Correspondent

Fazilka, July 29
An elderly person was killed and over a dozen persons, including a woman, injured in a clash between members of a family in village Ghurka today in the morning. According to police sources and eyewitnesses, a dispute between Darshan Singh and his cousin Desa Singh, residents of village Ghurka arose over the measurement of their land and a road which passes through it.

As per the statement of Darshan Singh recorded before the Sadar police, his cousin Desa Singh wanted to grab a piece of land. A dispute took place but he (Darshan Singh) and his family members returned home to avoid a confrontation.

As they reached their house, Desa Singh along with four of his family members, including his wife Parkash Kaur, allegedly attacked Darshan Singh and others with sharp-edged weapon, wooden logs and bricks.

Darshan Singh's father Chana Singh and other family members rushed there. Both the sides attacked each other and a free-for-all ensued.

SHO, Sadar police station, Chhinder Singh said in the melee, a brick and a wooden log hit Chana Singh (65) on the head and he died on spot. The hand of another relative of Chana Singh, Gurdev Singh, was chopped off after he was assaulted with a sword.

A critically injured Gurdev Singh was rushed to the local Civil Hospital from where the doctors referred him to Ludhaina. The other injured were also admitted to different hospitals. Sadar police, Fazilka, has booked Desa Singh and his four accomplices under sections 302, 323, 158 and 149 of the IPC.