Shortage of staff, vehicles hampers cops
Bathinda, August 26
Despite topping in the registration of criminal cases of various nature, the Civil Lines and the Kotwali police stations still lack the basic infrastructure. As many as 127 cases were registered at the Civil Lines police station and 126 cases at the Kotwali police station in the last six months.

Only 35 police personnel have been deployed at the Civil Lines police station. A Tribune file photo

Two Rampura kids to be operated for cleft palate
Bathinda, August 26
Two children from the Rampura area would be operated upon for cleft palate under the Smile Train project being run in association with Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). The children would be operated upon at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana where the NGO Smile Train and the SSA will bear the cost of the surgery and follow-up treatment.

Actor wants to set up cancer hospital

Bathinda, August 26 Aman Dhaliwal, 29, the lead actor in director Manmohan Singh's forthcoming venture, Ajj De Ranjhe, wants to set up a cancer hospital for the needy in Mansa. In the city to inaugurate a beauty salon, Aman said he has already formed a trust named --- A man with a helping hand - that would help in the setting up of a cancer hospital in the near future. Aman Dhaliwal has already formed a trust to help him set up a cancer hospital in the Malwa region.

SSA, RMSA teachers seek hike in Pay-scale Bathinda, August 26 Seeking pay-scales at par with regular teachers in the state, the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan teachers have sent a memorandum to the state government ahead of the cabinet meeting scheduled for August 28. SSA and RMSA teachers submit a memorandum of demands to Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar in Bathinda on Sunday. A Tribune photograph

Fashion show marks opening of beauty centre Bathinda, August 26 A fashion show was organised on the launching ceremony of the Aks Beauty Sculpt Centre at the Mall Road here today. The venture will offer package of different wellness services promoting beauty and health. Dancing delight: Students of Punjab Nursing College perform at a function held in the city on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Savouring Sunday

People take a ride in a shikara in the Thermal lake on Sunday after the weather cleared and the sun came out. The city had experienced heavy rainfall on Saturday inundating large parts of it. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

City doctor to chair int’l conference
Bathinda, August 26
A consultant at the Kishori Ram Hospital and an assistant professor at the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR), Dr Vitull K Gupta, has been invited to chair the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Oration at the World Congress on Clinical, Preventive, Cardiology and Imaging (WCCPCI-2012) to be held from September 14 to September 16 at Mount Abu.

Students hold rally to raise awareness on environment
Bathinda, August 26
The Arya Samaj, Bathinda, held an environment awareness rally in the city. Yagya and havan were performed at the Arya Girls' School and later, the rally was organised which passed through various markets in the city.

Irate over not being provided the arrears as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, college teachers hold a dharna against the state government in Bathinda on Saturday. They also demanded that the government should fill the vacant posts at the earliest. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

10 booked for theft
Bathinda, August 26
The police has booked 10 persons, including five to seven unidentified, for demolishing a room in a house and stealing the material lying there. In his complaint to the police, one Avatar Singh of Chauke village alleged that Gurpinder Singh Babbu, Chhinda Singh, Jaswinder Kaur and five to seven unidentified persons had demolished the room at Bhaini Chuhar village.

Material worth Rs 40K stolen from city school
Bathinda, August 26
Theft has been reported at the local MHR School on Saturday. In a complaint to the police, the in-charge of the school, Satya Devi, stated that some unidentified persons scaled the boundary wall to enter the school premises.

Shortage of staff, vehicles hampers cops
Civil Lines and Kotwali police stations affected by lack of infrastructure & manpower crisis depite a rise in the number of cases
Gurdeep Singh Mann
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
Despite topping in the registration of criminal cases of various nature, the Civil Lines and the Kotwali police stations still lack the basic infrastructure. As many as 127 cases were registered at the Civil Lines police station and 126 cases at the Kotwali police station in the last six months.

Factors like lack of manpower and shortage of vehicles are proving to be main reason behind the piling up of the cases and the complainants have no other option but to extend a helping hand to the policemen in expediting their cases.

Both the police stations have inadequate staff and have been provided with only one vehicle each. Cops deployed at these police stations said the graph of pending cases is rising with the registration of a large number of cases everyday.

While there are a mere 35 police personnel of various designations deployed at the Civil Lines police station, around 30 cops are working at the Kotwali police station.

Policemen regretted that the available strength of cops has been exhausted in deploying staff like driver, munshi, head munshi, sentry and policemen for court duties. For effective working, a mere 10 to 15 persons are left behind at these police stations and they have to handle the daily crime, trace cases and conduct raids.

The ultimate sufferers are the complainants who are forced to extend a helping hand, monetary or physically, for speeding up the investigations.

Of the 19 police stations, Nandgarh police station has got the lowest figure of registration of cases where only 36 cases were registered in last six months.

Policemen said the area of crime and the population density are among the reasons behind the high number of cases registered in the city areas.

Despite variation in the number of cases, all the police stations of the district have been provided with only one vehicle by the department.

The cops deployed at the Kotwali and Civil Lines police stations said apart from manpower, they also require two more vehicles each in view of the high number of cases being registered at these two police stations. The cops said they are forced to use their own private vehicles for which the government pays a mere Rs 180 per month as conveyance allowance.

Kotwali SHO Jaspal Singh, while admitting to the problems caused by staff shortage and lack of vehicles, said they seek help from the 10 PCR motorcycles in his area to handle crime. He said at least 100 men are required for the effective redressal of people's complaints and a separate force is needed for different tasks. "We need a separate lot for court hearing, to look after dharnas, nab criminals and to clear the pending cases," Jaspal Singh said.

Expressing similar views, Civil Lines SHO Gurdev Bhalla said they require more manpower and vehicles for effective functioning. As many as 22 cases were registered at the Kotwali police station in the month of March this year, 23 cases in April, 25 cases in June and 19 in July. In August, seven cases have been registered so far. Most of the cases registered relate to theft, NDPS Act, quarrel over trivial issues and the Gambling Act.

Similarly, 15 cases were registered in the month of March this year at the Civil Lines police station. The number of cases increased to 28 in April. It came down to 26 in May but again shot up to 29 in June. In July, 23 cases were registered and this month, six cases have been registered so far.

Two Rampura kids to be operated for cleft palate
Initiative taken by the NGO Smile Train & SSA
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
Two children from the Rampura area would be operated upon for cleft palate under the Smile Train project being run in association with Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA). The children would be operated upon at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH), Ludhiana where the NGO Smile Train and the SSA will bear the cost of the surgery and follow-up treatment.

District special coordinator of the SSA, Davinder Kumar, said these children were identified on the basis of a door-to-door survey that was conducted sometime back. "We have been conducting this survey to identify such children. When the problem is detected early, its treatment too becomes easy. When operated before the school-going age, these children fit better in society and are able to acquire the communication skills that the cleft palate bars them from possessing," he said.

So far, 15 children have been operated upon for cleft palate in different age-groups. Not only the students of government schools but also those non-schoolgoing children have been covered under the programme.

It is pertinent to mention here that for this year, 115 such children have been identified all over the state till now who will undergo the surgery. After the operation, the children will be given free therapy.

Fact file

• Cleft palate is a treatable birth defect. It happens when the roof of the baby's mouth (palate) doesn't develop normally during pregnancy, leaving an opening (cleft) in the palate that may go through to the nasal cavity.
• A cleft can form on any part of the palate, including the front part of the roof of the mouth (hard palate) or the small flap of tissue that hangs down from the soft palate (uvula). It may appear by itself or along with other birth defects of the face and skull, such as a cleft lip camera.
• Until a cleft palate is treated with surgery, it can cause problems with feeding, speech, and hearing.
• The location of the cleft matters more than how it looks. A small cleft in the soft palate may cause more problems because of its effect on speech, than a large cleft that is easy to see.

Actor wants to set up cancer hospital
Aman Dhaliwal, in city to promote his next film, is armed with a degree in radiology
Megha Mann
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
Aman Dhaliwal, 29, the lead actor in director Manmohan Singh's forthcoming venture, Ajj De Ranjhe, wants to set up a cancer hospital for the needy in Mansa. In the city to inaugurate a beauty salon, Aman said he has already formed a trust named --- A man with a helping hand - that would help in the setting up of a cancer hospital in the near future.

With a BSc (Honours) degree in radiology from Ghaziabad, Aman understands the intricacies of a disease like cancer better than the other tinsel town actors.

Moved by the death of a close relative due to inadequate treatment, Aman has decided to collect funds for the hospital. A resident of Mansa and the son of a Shiromani Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) member, Aman is best known for his work in "Jodhaa Akbar" as Rajkumar Rattan Singh, who was to marry Jodhaa, a character portrayed by Aishwarya Rai. He has also been praised for his role in Punjabi movies like "Virsa" and "Ik Kudi Punjab Di".

"Ashutosh Gowarikar had to shorten the role owing to the controversy with the Rajputs. But the kind of launch pedestal Ashutosh gave me has helped me grow as an actor," said Aman, who is a trained classical musician and tabla player.

"Ajj De Ranjhe" is Aman's second movie with producer-director Manmohan Singh. His earlier movie with Manmohan Singh was "Ik Kudi Punjab Di" in which he played a small but significant role.

His "Back to the Roots-Virsa" won accolades at the Dallas Film Festival. The movie was the first of its kind to have a mixed cast and crew from India, Pakistan and Australia.

Talking about his soon-to-be-released film, Aman said "Ajj De Ranjhe" has something to offer to everyone. "At a time when singers are turning heroes, this movie is of an actor in a lead role.

It holds a mirror to the Punjab Police over its working and the impression it makes on the general public," said Aman who is busy promoting his forthcoming film.

"Ajj De Ranjhe" would be simultaneously released in India, Pakistan, Canada, New Zealand, UK, US, Australia and the European countries. "After the Salman Khan starrer 'Ek Tha Tiger' was banned in Pakistan, 'Ajj De Ranjhe' would be the first Punjabi movie to be released there. We have got many Punjabis there waiting to lap up films in this language and 'Ajj De Ranjhe' will open up that channel," he said.

Aman is also waiting for the release of 'The Man' starring Sunny Deol where he is in the second lead role. The shooting for the film has been wrapped up in London.

SSA, RMSA teachers seek hike in Pay-scale
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
Seeking pay-scales at par with regular teachers in the state, the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan teachers have sent a memorandum to the state government ahead of the cabinet meeting scheduled for August 28.

The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) Teachers' Union, Bathinda, held a meeting at the Teachers' Home here today, and submitted a memorandum of their demands to Tehsildar Avtar Singh Makkar so that it can be forwarded to the state government before the cabinet meeting to be held on August 28.

They demanded that the cabinet meeting should approve revision of the pay-scales for SSA and RMSA teachers so as to bring these at par with the regular teachers.

Their other demands include lifting an irrational ban imposed on transfer of teachers, recruiting Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) teachers on departmental posts, resume allowing earned leaves and cancellation of police cases registered against 59 teachers.

Fashion show marks opening of beauty centre
Tribune News Service

Bathinda MLA Sarup Chand Singla and Deputy Commissioner KK Yadav along with other dignitaries at the launch of the Aks Beauty Sculpt Centre in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Bathinda, August 26
A fashion show was organised on the launching ceremony of the Aks Beauty Sculpt Centre at the Mall Road here today. The venture will offer package of different wellness services promoting beauty and health.

The fashion show presented today highlighted different traditions of the North India. Students of the Punjab Nursing College clothed in the dressing styles of Punjab, Haryana, Pakistan Punjab and few other Indian states, sashayed on the ramp.

Bathinda MLA Sarup Chand Singla, Mayor Baljit Singh Birbehman, DC Kamal Kishore Yadav and SDM Ramvir inaugurated the opening ceremony. A Chandigarh-based dancer Max performed with his group. Several games were held on the occasion and prizes thereof were distributed to the participants. Dr GS Nagpal and Dr TS Nagpal, the organisers, said it was the first of its kind initiative in the state. 

City doctor to chair int’l conference
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
A consultant at the Kishori Ram Hospital and an assistant professor at the Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (AIMSR), Dr Vitull K Gupta, has been invited to chair the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Oration at the World Congress on Clinical, Preventive, Cardiology and Imaging (WCCPCI-2012) to be held from September 14 to September 16 at Mount Abu.

Dr Kushagra Katariya from the US will deliver a lecture on the occasion.

An AIMSR spokesperson said the WCCPCI-2012 was the largest conference in India. It was expected that more than 7,000 delegates would attend the event. Besides, renowned cardiologists from all over the world would be taking part in the three-day event.

Fact file

Dr Vitull K Gupta, has been invited to chair the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Oration at the World Congress on Clinical, Preventive, Cardiology and Imaging (WCCPCI-2012) to be held from September 14 - 16 at Mount Abu.

Students hold rally to raise awareness on environment
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
The Arya Samaj, Bathinda, held an environment awareness rally in the city. Yagya and havan were performed at the Arya Girls' School and later, the rally was organised which passed through various markets in the city.

Speaking on the occasion, the president of Arya Samaj, Bathinda, BP Goyal laid emphasis on conserving water for future generations. He exhorted people not to waste the precious resource.

Principal of the school Vipin Garg thanked the students and teachers for being a part of the awareness rally.

10 booked for theft
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
The police has booked 10 persons, including five to seven unidentified, for demolishing a room in a house and stealing the material lying there. In his complaint to the police, one Avatar Singh of Chauke village alleged that Gurpinder Singh Babbu, Chhinda Singh, Jaswinder Kaur and five to seven unidentified persons had demolished the room at Bhaini Chuhar village.

The police has registered a case under Sections 379, 427, 447, 511 and 34 of the IPC at the Sadar Rampura police station.

Avatar Singh stated that the accused took away four bags of fertilisers, two shovels and 80 kg of barbed wire. The total cost of the stolen material was Rs 6,000.

The complainant also alleged that the accused attempted to encroach upon the piece of land on which the room was built. No arrest has been made so far.

Material worth Rs 40K stolen from city school
Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 26
Theft has been reported at the local MHR School on Saturday. In a complaint to the police, the in-charge of the school, Satya Devi, stated that some unidentified persons scaled the boundary wall to enter the school premises.

They decamped with material worth nearly Rs 40,000, including admission register, self-declaration form related to admissions, three water campers, an iron box, a steel bucket and water pipes, she said.

The police has registered a case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC at the Civil Lines police station.

Car looted

Four unidentified persons looted a car from the driver while he was busy cleaning it outside the residence of its owner.

In a complaint lodged with the police, Surinder Walia, a resident of Gali SSD Girls School Wali, stated that four unidentified persons snatched the keys of his silver Hyundai Verna car (2008 model) and escaped with the car. The complainant stated that the car was worth nearly Rs 3.75 lakh.

The police has registered a case under Sections 382 and 34 of the IPC against four unidentified persons at the Kotwali police station.

Arhtiyas, shopkeepers held for gambling

The Civil Lines police claimed to have arrested six arhtiyas and shopkeepers while gambling and recovered Rs 1.20 lakh from their possession.

Civil Lines SHO Gurdev Bhalla said the accused were arrested from outside a hotel on the Barnala road.

The accused have been identified as Rajinder of Bathinda; Rajkumar and Satpal of Gidderbaha; and Raj Kumar, Ved Parkash and Om Parkash of Rampura.

A case under the Gambling Act has been registered against them at the Civil Lines police station.

Four booked for demanding dowry

The police has booked four members of a Bhiwani-based family for demanding dowry.

The accused have been identified as Anup Kumar, Pardeep Kumar, Banaspati Devi and Veena Rani, all residents of Bhiwani in the neighbouring Haryana.

A case under Sections 498-A, 406 and 109 of the IPC has been registered against the accused at the woman police station.