Bathinda, September 12
If you get an international call starting with the number +92 or any other four digit number, beware! Those calling you might be fraudsters offering you money saving deal or prize money in lottery.

Sometimes, it may even bar your incoming or outgoing phone calls and other services.

Many people in the city have been getting these bogus phone calls for the last few months. When someone returns the call, the person on the other side congratulates him on "winning" prize money in lottery and asks about personal information like name, age, bank account number and address.

To collect funds, these fake callers sometimes even ask to submit a certain amount of money as courier charges at a desired bank account.

Narrating an incident, Harsher Singh, a city resident, said, "I got a missed call from an international number starting from +92 (Pakistan) on Monday. When I dialled the number, the caller told me that my number has won a prize money of Rs 10 lakh. He further said I should furnish my residential address and bank account number so that the prize money could be transferred into my account."

"But when I asked how my number was selected in Pakistan for the prize money without making any ISD call, the person disconnected the call. Later, I came to know from my friends that these are fake callers, who always try to rob people," added Harsher.

Bathinda, September 12
This weekend, Punjab will witness the convergence of mayors from all over the country for the national-level meeting of the executive committee of the All India Council of Mayors (AICM) and many elected representatives of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda (MCB) are all set to vent their feelings regarding the debilitating dependence on the bureaucrats at the conference.

While the local government forms the third tier of governance, the political and bureaucratic system is still not prepared to promote participatory democracy, these councilors feel.

"The municipal councillors elected by the people are just rubber stamps in the hands of the bureaucrats. Most issues which are unanimously supported by the General House of the Corporation keep lying under the deadweight of an unresponsive and centralized bureaucracy."

This is the common grouse which the councilors make, covertly and openly.

"But now, we hope that when mayors from all over the country meet in

Bathinda, the councillors will have a platform to share their experiences about the 'centralization of power'", said Tarsem Goyal, Senior Deputy Mayor, MCB.

Echoing Goyal's sentiments, Jagroop Singh Gill, a senior advocate and councillor, said, "Though the Punjab Chief Minister keeps advocating decentralization, claiming that it will increase the people's participation in determining growth and their future, all local bodies are just a puppet in the hands of the state government, dancing to the tune of the bureaucrats."

There are as many as five agendas which the General House of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda passed collectively, without any dissenting vote in the last eight months. But all these agendas are gathering dust at the office of the Director, Local Government, at Chandigarh.

Though these agendas were passed by the elected representatives but the babus in the local government office did not take even care to give them a cursory look, said Jagroop Gill.

"Whenever a new tax or financial burden is to be imposed on the people, the authorities implement it on the very next day of the General House meeting. But whenever the councillors move an agenda keeping in view the people's problems and pass it unanimously, the bureaucrats throw it in the dustbin and forget even to respond; affirmatively or in the negative," said Tarsem Goyal.

"Months back, the MCB unanimously passed a resolution for not levying any house tax on small schools located in the streets (called associated schools). There was a resolution not to unnecessarily burden and harass the people with change of land usage and development charges, but there has been no response so far. This is really pitiable because how can we confront the people who elected us," said Goyal.

Municipal Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta admitted that being an elected body, the councillors have every right to pass an agenda.

But he said that the final authority for the approval or refusal of these agendas passed by the general House rests with the Director, Local Government.

About the agendas not evoking any response from the director's office, Gupta said the director is over occupied, burdened with work from all over the state.

"But now, a decision has been taken to hold a monthly meeting at the director's level to discuss these agendas," the municipal commissioner said. 

Bathinda, September 12
Ten people, including women, were injured in a clash between two groups over the location of an allegedly unapproved temple in the locality.

The incident took place in street number 4 of Nai Basti where heavy police force arrived to pacify the two parties. The residents of the area alleged that the unapproved temple in the locality and devotees visiting the place have become a sore point for them.

"The residents were holding a meeting in connection with the temple when some people associated with this religious place attacked them. The assailants also damaged the bike of a scribe in the melee," said a resident of the area.

DSP City-1 Gurmeet Singh and Civil Lines SHO Gurdev Bhalla reached the spot and rounded up some residents and the assailants. The DSP warned the residents not to enter into clashes and said cases would be registered against those who disturb peace in the area. The DSP said those found guilty of attacking and injuring others would be booked by the police. Police force would remain deployed in the area in view of the tension among both the sides, the DSP added.

Bathinda, September 12
A team of the Municipal Corporation Bathinda today cut off the water connections of those houses whose owners had failed to pay the bills on time.

The team comprising policemen today visited various places from where it collected Rs 6 lakhs against the pending bills.

The water connections were not removed at these places by the corporation officials following on-the-spot payment made by the consumers.

The corporation officials said they also raided hotels and residential colonies in the city. The officials said water bills to the tune of crores have been pending in various pockets of the city for a long time.

Bathinda, September 12
Against the target of enrolment of 6,800 NSS (National Service Scheme) volunteers in senior secondary schools and technical educational institutions of Bathinda district during the current academic session, as many as 7,072 NSS volunteers have already been enrolled in the district so far.

Among them are 3,675 boys and 3,397 girls. The target has been surpassed by forming only 62 units in 43 senior secondary schools and a polytechnic college of the district.

The Department of Youth Services, Punjab, has fixed the target of 68 NSS units and 6,800 volunteers for this district for the current academic session.

Talking to TNS over the phone, assistant director of the Youth Services, Bathinda, Dr Kamaljit Singh Sidhu said the remaining six units would be formed in three polytechnic colleges, namely PTU Giani Zail Singh campus, Bathinda, Government Polytechnic College, Bathinda, and BR Mahindra Polytechnic College, Jajjal.

It is for the first time that an NSS unit would be formed at PTU Giani Zail Singh campus, Bathinda, he added.

Dr Sidhu said the Department of Youth Services had also set up new units this year in some senior secondary schools like Government Senior Secondary School, Dhapali, Government Senior Secondary School, Kotha Guru, Sunrise Senior Secondary School, Bhai Rupa, Government Senior Secondary School, Chak Fateh Singh Wala, Government Senior Secondary School, Mehta, and DAV Senior Secondary School, Raman Mandi.

He said training had been imparted to the NSS programme officers of newly-formed units at the Punjabi University, Patiala, so that they could run their units effectively and in a smooth manner.

During the current academic session, the NSS volunteers will take part in several activities, including one-day camps, tree plantation, drug de-addiction awareness, social service and blood donation. Every unit will choose a slum area or a village for performing the activities.

It may be mentioned here that during the academic session 2011-2012, over 7,300 NSS volunteers had been enrolled by forming 68 units in senior secondary schools and technical institutions of the district.

Dr Sidhu claimed that this year, they would surpass the previous year's figure of over 7,300 volunteers as six units were yet to be formed in polytechnic colleges. 

Bathinda, September 12
Following instructions received from the Election Commission of India, errors in the voters list will be removed from October 1-31, stated the District Electoral Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner, Kamal Kishore Yadav, here today while presiding over a meeting of various heads of government and educational institutions.

He said all the eligible persons, who were above the age of 18 years, could get their voter card prepared after completing the requisite formalities.

KK Yadav urged the heads of educational institutions to ask the college students to get their voter cards prepared.

He said that nodal officers have been appointed to provide Form 6 so that the students, who do not have voter cards, could prepare the same.

Bathinda, September 12
The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) and its Regional Research Station, Bathinda, would organise a Kisan Mela in Bathinda on September 27 wherein improved seeds of Rabi crops would be sold to farmers.

The director of the Regional Research Station, Bathinda, Dr Jaspal Singh Gill, said that Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Balwinder Singh Bhunder would be the chief guest while PAU vice-chancellor Baldev Singh Dhillon would preside over the programme.

The PAU regional station director said that the seeds of Rabi crops, including wheat, oil seeds etc, would be put on display at the Kisan Mela.

Bathinda, September 12
The body of a man was recovered from the Golewala head of the Bhakhra canal falling under the Seego police post in the Talwandi Sabo area.

Volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa, an NGO, reached the spot after receiving information in this regard.

Police post in-charge ASI Boota Singh, who also reached the spot, said the body could not be identified so far.

The body was taken to the Civil Hospital at Talwandi Sabo.

The ASI said the body would be preserved for 72 hours to help for identification purpose. The deceased is believed to be in his sixties.

Man found lying unconscious at rly station

A man was found lying unconscious on platform number 7 of Bathinda railway station today.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) officials informed volunteers of the Sahara Jan Sewa about him and the latter got him admitted to the Civil Hospital here.

In view of his serious condition, he was later referred to the Max Superspeciality Hospital.

An identity card found in his possession identified him as Satish Rana, a resident of Delhi. He is a worker at the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant at Lehra Mohabbat. He had come to the railway station to catch a train for Delhi but allegedly fell victim to a gang that administered him sedatives. His kin have been informed.

The Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered a case against unknown miscreants and is waiting for him to recover to record his statement and begin investigation.