Bathinda, August 16
Before opening the next bottle of packaged water from Bathinda, think again! It may not be fit for human consumption. The samples of a company selling packaged drinking water in the focal point area have failed the purity test twice. The health department twice collected the water samples from the unit and they were found to have bacterial contaminants.

The samples were collected during a routine checking conducted in the last three months.

"When the first sample faced the purity test, the company was duly warned and the same was done a second time. If the water samples fail the purity test for a third time, we will have no option but to seal the water source permanently," said District Health Officer Dr RS Randhawa.

Besides, the water samples of eateries, marriage palaces, government schools and a private ITI institute too were found to be unfit for human consumption. These water samples were collected between May to July.

In Bathinda city, Sharma Misthan Bhandar, Mall Road, Ajaib and Harchand theatres were found to have water unfit for human consumption.

Not only the commercial establishments, even the government schools in the city and a private school are not serving their children the right kind of water, exposing them to unknown dangers caused by the consumption of contaminated water.

The team from the health department collected water samples on July 16 from various places. The samples of Summer Hill Convent School, Guru Ki Nagri, Government Primary School, Harbas Nagar, Government Primary School, Jassi Pau Wali, and Baba Farid ITI, Kotshamir, failed the purity test.

The team also collected water samples from Maur where two marriage palaces, Jeet and Milan, were found to have drinking water unfit for human consumption.

The Health Department has informed the heads of all educational institutes and has also sent a report to the sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) concerned. The defaulters have been issued notices and strictly directed that the water be soon made fit for human consumption failing which they would have to face action.

The samples were collected from different sources including taps supplying water from the storage tanks of the PWD, submersible pump and handpumps and were tested at the State Public Health Laboratory in Chandigarh.

Bathinda, August 16
The interns of Adesh Dental College, protesting against the college management for not giving them the stipend, today approached the Punjab State Human Rights Commission (PSHRC) and also met the Senior Superintendent of Police, Bathinda.

SSP Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill referred the students to the district administration. The leader of the protesting students, Karandeep Singh, said the college authorities have been summoned tomorrow for an explanation.

Of the 37 interns from the 2008 batch, 32 are pressing for granting stipend during their internship period. While the college spokesperson said no private college in the state gives stipend except for a college located at Banur, the students claimed the case was otherwise.

They said the Banur college was paying the highest amount of Rs 4,000 as stipend to its BDS interns, while a Sunam-based dental college was paying Rs 1,500 as the lowest stipend. "But at the same time, the colleges paying a low stipend also have low hostel charges. Adesh College is charging us Rs 1.04 lakh annually as hostel charges for non-AC rooms, whereas the hostel charges of other colleges is not more than Rs 65,000 to Rs 70,000," the students said.

The protesting students added that while they were charged Rs 1,04,900 as hostel fees but they were given a receipt for only Rs 87,900. "The hostel fees are arbitrarily increased by Rs 10,000 every year. When we took admission here, the fees was Rs 52,700 without security which has now become almost double the amount," said the students

Interns, who are students of the 2008 batch, alleged that the revision of Rs 10,000 annually of the hostel fee is a steep hike. "Our hostel fee was Rs 67,000 at the onset of our course, which has now risen to Rs 1,04,900. However, the institute gives us a receipt for Rs 87,000 only," they said.

The interns also alleged that the college does not provide them with dental material to be used on patients. They also accused the college authorities of asking them to work as lab technicians also sometimes.

Meanwhile, the college deputy medical superintendent (DMS) Dr Gurpreet Singh Gill said. "It is a policy matter that is yet to be decided. We will pay the arrear to the students from day one of their internship. They are our own children and their benefit is our prime motive. Moreover, neither the Punjab government nor the Dental Council of India (DCI) has specified any fixed amount that is to be paid by the colleges."

He added that the students were even ordered to open their bank accounts by August 24 so that their stipend can be deposited in their accounts. "But instead of opening accounts, the students chose to tread the path of agitation," he added.

Bathinda, August 16
Bathinda residents celebrated the 66th Independence Day with fervour. To mark the occasion, private and government organised several functions in the city. The district-level function was organised at the local Sports Stadium wherein Education and Language Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka unfurled the Tricolour.

After taking salute at the parade, Maluka addressed the gathering.

The minister spoke about martyrs who dared to sacrifice their lives to see their nation free from British rule. He said the day holds an important significance in the life of every Indian.

People should make efforts to maintain India's glory, which is attained due to unending devotion of hundreds of Indians who were made captive, tortured and hanged to death.

Maluka announced to develop an education city which would come up in Bathinda on 30 acres.

He said that special measures would be taken to strengthen educational base in the area.

ADC (D) Mohammad Tayyab and SSP Sukhchain Singh Gill were also present along with the minister while inspecting the guard of honour by contingents of police and home guards.

Besides the Punjab Police and the Punjab Home Guards, Army bands, NCC, scouts and guides and schoolchildren were among the participants at the ceremony.

Nearly 1,600 schoolchildren performed cultural programmes and PT show. Tableaus of various departments were also showcased.

District and Sessions Judge SK Aggarwal, Chief Judicial Magistrate Harjeet Singh, MLA Darshan Singh Kotfatta, Mayor Baljeet Singh Beerbehman, the managing director of cooperative societies Gurpreet Singh Maluka, an additional director of Sarv Siksha Abhiyan, Punjab, Parampal Kaur, former MLA Gurjant Singh Kuttiwal, municipal commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta, assistant commissioner Kamal Kant, DDPO Rajinder Batta, the secretary of District Red Cross Society JR Goyal, Dr Om Parkash Sharma, District Education Officer (Secondary) Hardeep Singh, deputy DEO Dr Amarjeet Kaur, ADO Pavittar Kaur and noted businessman Kamaljeet Mehta were among those present on the occasion.

The turnout of spectators during the Independence Day function at the Sports Stadium was reportedly less than last year.

The National Flag was also unfurled at the office of the District Congress (Urban). Former Bathinda MLA Harminder Jassi, district Congress president Ashok Kumar and a party leader Rupinder Bindra pledged to work for the uplift of the poor.

Mayor Baljeet Singh Beerbehman unfurled the Tricolor at the office of the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda. He pledged to keep the corruption at bay. The Tricolour was also hoisted by Dr HS Dhaliwal at the Satpal Azad Memorial Public Library.

Meanwhile, the Government Sports School, Ghudda, celebrated the Independence Day by planting saplings and distributing prizes to students who won in various sports activities.

Students of Arya Model School sang patriotic songs as the school celebrated the day. Guru Nanak Dev Senior Secondary School held a function to mark the day.

Bathinda, August 16
Repeated distress calls to snake catchers in the city has lead to the formation of a snake rescue committee comprising youths associated with the NGO Sahara Jan Sewa.

The members of the committee said they receive phone calls from various places in the city and adjoining areas to catch snakes belonging to various species. "For this, we decided to form a committee that would help in rescuing snakes without harming them," said a member of the committee, Vikram Raj.

The committee members said they were upset over the killing of snakes and decided to release their helpline numbers (98035-22781, 98140-48200) among the residents who wish to release the snakes caught in residential areas on the outskirts of the city.

These youths have been catching snakes for over five years and now form a four-member group.

"I used to get scared at the mere sight of a snake but once caught a venomous snake accidentally in the room where my younger sister was asleep. Now, I have caught more than 400 snakes and released them in the jungles," said Vikram Raj Vicky, the president of the recently formed Shiv Bhole Naag Raksha Samiti.

Snakes have bitten Vicky twice but he survived.

Vicky, 23, and his colleagues, Kuldeep, Babbu, Sandeep and a few others have attended distress calls from various households in the city and the adjoining villages.

These youths do not accept money in lieu of catching snakes from homes. "We only request people not to kill the snakes and let us know whenever they notice a snake entering their homes," said Vikram.

He said snakes come out of hibernation during the rainy season and they have rescued more than 50 snakes in the last two months.

The maximum numbers of call are received from the kutcha houses in villages but at times snakes also sneak into the cemented floor of houses in the city.

The area from where the NGO received the maximum number of phone calls in the last two months are Gopal Nagar, Janta Nagar, Parasram Nagar, Partap Nagar and the nearby villages of Bibi Wala, Behman and Teona.

They also got a phone call from the police quarters in Lal Singh Basti from where they caught a snake. In posh localities, snakes were caught in rooms where the air-conditioners were installed.

The members of the Samiti said they catch the snakes using two wooden sticks and try to nab the serpent near its head.

Mostly five to six varieties of snakes are found in Bathinda and their length varies from a minimum of three feet to nine feet.

"If the snake is small in size, then we keep it in a jar. If it is big, then we hold it with our hands and release it in the open area on the outskirts of the city or in the woods of Bir Talab," said the volunteers of the Samiti.