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Local bodies falter in paying for clean-up
Demolition drive: MCB team on the backfoot
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Revision of voters’ list to begin in Oct
Seized narcotics awaiting disposal for over decades
Prof killed in mishap on Barnala road
Two smugglers held under NDPS Act
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Local bodies falter in paying for clean-up
Bathinda, September 18 The JUIL started collecting garbage from door-to-door around nine months ago. Charging Rs 300 per tonne, the ULBs were supposed to pay Rs 1.25 crores to the JUIL, of which only 70 per cent has been paid. "The collection of funds started only after the matter was brought to the notice of the Principal Secretary, Local Bodies, Punjab, Suresh Kumar, during his visit to the city on August 24," said a JUIL official. Having brought the matter to the notice of Suresh Kumar, the company started issuing letters to the ULBs asking them to clear their pending dues. While the MCB officials claimed to have made the payment till the month of July, other ULBs have paid only a meager sum. JUIL officials said the non-payment of fees starts reflecting on the quality of work done. "We have strengthened our door-to-door garbage collection to a great extent. The only grey area that now remains is that of ensuring that all secondary collection points remain free of garbage throughout the day," the JUIL officials added. They said the municipal sweepers, who clean the streets and the open drains, do not put the waste collected inside the secondary bins installed at different places. "Instead of emptying it right into the bin, the sweepers end up littering the place around the bin. The government had suggested employing sweepers around these bins who would pick up the littered garbage and throw it into the bin. Without any inflow of cash in the form of payments, we are just able to provide the salaries and maintain our vehicles. For employing more people, we need adequate funds," they said. The company has six compactors for the Bathinda cluster, small trucks and 6-7 tractor-trolleys for each ULB. It is pertinent to mention here that unhappy with the performance of the company, the MCB Commissioner Uma Shankar Gupta, who is in-charge of the Bathinda cluster, has twice issued a termination letter to the agency. The JUIL officials said a company cannot be terminated unless and until all its dues are cleared. Meanwhile, Uma Shankar Gupta today convened a review meeting of the ULBs on the issue of garbage collection. "I have directed the urban local bodies to clear all payments till July and pay penalty, if any. We hope the payments would be cleared within a week," he said. The Municipal Comissioner, however, added that some of payment is held back to ensure that the company entrusted with the task performs better. Fact file
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Demolition drive: MCB team on the backfoot
Bathinda, September 18 A lady has allegedly encroached upon 20 feet of the road in street number 2, Gopal Nagar, leading to the closure of the road. Nearly 32 families from the area had been running from pillar-to-post to get these encroachments removed, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. People claimed to have approached the municipal corporation as well but the illegal construction was not removed. Peeved over the closure of the passage in the street, 32 families moved the High Court against the municipal corporation holding it responsible for the problems that the people were facing. Acting on the orders of the High Court, a team of the MCB officials lead by the assistant municipal commissioner went to remove the encroachment along with policemen to provide security cover. But instead of going ahead with the task, the team stood a kilometer away from the spot, seeking the views of the legal adviser to the MCB. In the meantime, the alleged encroachers brought the Guru Granth Sahib and started reading out religious messages from the holy scripture in their house. Fearing a backlash on religious grounds, the MCB officials even consulted the SGPC officials but could not remove the encroachment. Assistant municipal commissioner Kamal Kant Goyal was not available for comments despite repeated attempts. |
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Kisan Mela packages old wine in new bottle; hopes now on PAU fair
Bathinda, September 18 A majority of the farmers returning to their villages in the evening said the officials of the department had told them that the latest machines for the farming community would be displayed at the fair. But these were hardly displayed at the Kisan Mela. Gurpreet Singh of Jalal village said, "The fair proved to be a low-key affair, as there was nothing new. All the items displayed at the fair were those which we have seen at the previous fairs. This was moreover, a training camp and not a fair." "The farmers had an impression that the latest machines of major companies would be displayed at the Kisan Mela and they would be informed about their benefits, but the scene was altogether different," he added. No such thing was visible which took away the novelty of the fair. Similarly, another farmer of Dialpura said, "The original Kisan Mela would be held on September 27, by the Punjab Agriculture University (PAU), Ludhiana. There, the farmers will get adequate knowledge about the modern methods of farming." Even some stall owners said they were selling the same products which they had sold at the previous Kisan Mela. Rain plays spoilsport
Rain also played a spoilsport at the Kisan Mela, that too, just minutes before the speech of the chief guest, Dr Gursewak Singh Sandhu, Joint Director, Agriculture Department, Punjab. The farmers, who were listening to the speakers, immediately rushed towards a safer place and some of them even used their chairs as an umbrella. The commotion distracted the attention of the audience from thed proceedings. Stalls outside the venue
Some stalls had been installed on the road outside the Mela venue on Dabwali road. The stall owners sold their products including seeds, farming tools, plants and other related items to the farmers, without paying the required amount to establish the stall at the Kisan Mela venue. The constant movement of the people towards that side also resulted in distraction. Singla skips the event
Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sarup Chand Singla, who was to inaugurate the Kisan Mela, could not come due to some official work. Even Deputy Commissioner Kamal Kishore Yadav arrived late for the inaugural ceremony.
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orissa farmers’
Punjab visit
Bathinda, September 18 They were equally impressed with the hospitality extended to them by the officials of the Agriculture Department, Punjab. On the sidelines of a Kisan Mela organised by the Agriculture Department in Bathinda on Tuesday, farmers from Orissa told The Tribune that they went to villages in Muktsar and Bathinda districts and learnt a number of farming techniques to increase the crop yield. Sharing his experience, one of the visiting farmers K Lokeswar Rao said, "Farmers here use modern methods of agriculture, but we don't have that much money to spend on farming. Most of us depend on traditional methods. Here, we learnt how an agricultural land could be irrigated at comparatively lesser cost. The way of planting cotton is almost same in both the states, but there is a difference in the way paddy is transplanted." He said, "We transplant paddy in an unplanned manner, but in Punjab, we saw that paddy was transplanted in rows. This way, one can transplant more saplings, which will definitely increase the produce." He added that the farmers here welcomed them and even honoured them at a local gurdwara. Another farmer, Balabhadra Kutrula from Rayagada district in Orissa, said, "We not only learnt a number of things, but also assessed that the farming is a profit making profession. In our state, most of the farmers sow crops for their personal use. We have not even invested in any other related trade like dairy farming, bee-keeping or fishing." The visitors, however, suggested to the farmers here that they must not burn the paddy or wheat residue. "In our state, we do not burn the crop leftover. We leave it for animals to graze. It preserves the fertility of the soil," said the visitors. Surya Rao, the guide officer of the delegation, said, "Paddy and cotton are two major crops in our state and our experience of visiting Punjab has been beautiful so far. Tomorrow, we will go to Amritsar to see the methods of cultivation being adopted by the farmers there." However, Surya Rao added that language was a problem for most of the farmers accompanying him, but they understood Hindi and their tour had proved to be successful. |
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Revision of voters’ list to begin in Oct
Bathinda, September 18 All claims and objections could be given in the forms prescribed to the concerned election registration officer and booth-level officers from October 1-31. On October 7, 14 and 21, the booth-level officers will be available at the respective polling stations from 9 am to 5 pm receive these forms. Yadav said to include one’s name in the list, form number 6 should be submitted with a coloured photo affixed on it. To get enrolled, NRIs should fill form 6-A. To delete the name, form 7 must be filled. For corrections, form 8 and for change of residence, form 8-B should be filled. If anyone is registered as a voter, but does not have a voter's I-card, he should fill form 001-B and submit two coloured photos.
— TNS |
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Seized narcotics awaiting disposal for over decades
Bathinda, September 18 Under Section 52-A of the NDPS Act, though the police is supposed to prepare an inventory of the seized drugs and narcotics and dispose of the contraband by burning it in incinerators every three years, a huge quantity of drugs, seized even three-decades ago, is still lying stored with the Bathinda police. The information procured under the RTI revealed that nine rooms of a store, specially constructed for seized narcotics on the court premises in Bathinda, are bursting at its seams. Some of the drugs were seized about 32 years ago. A large quantity of these drugs has even lost the original colour. It is even difficult to prepare the inventories of these drugs, as bags containing contraband have been nibbled at by rats, leaving the drugs disarrayed. The contraband seized by the Sangat police in 41 drug-smuggling cases is lying in these stores. About 3.9 kg of opium seized in June 1983 and nine kg of opium seized in June 1998 are still awaiting its disposal. Cops said they were waiting for pyrolytic incinerators to burn these drugs. These incinerators not only destroy the drugs without polluting the environment but also render the residue unusable as narcotic. In May 1985, the Sangat police seized 19 kg of opium from a drug smuggler, who is no more and the related case file was closed long time ago. However, the contraband is still lying at police stores. Section 52-A of the NDPS Act provides powers to the police to dispose of the seized contraband than to keep it inside the police stations to avoid its misuse, even before the trial comes to an end. Bathinda SSP Dr Sukhchain Singh Gill said the Punjab Government had already decided to purchase incinerators for destruction of narcotics to avoid pollution. The incinerator was expected to be installed at Mansa soon, he said. The information obtained from the Bathinda police revealed that 1.9 kg of opium seized by Maur Mandi police in May 1983 is still kept at a police store. The drugs seized by the Talwandi Sabo police in 38 smuggling cases are still awaiting to be disposed of even as most of these smuggling cases have already been decided in the court. Not only the traditional drugs of opium and poppy husk, but a huge stock of synthetic drugs and modern narcotic substances are lying in police stores. Over 39 lakh various sedative and narcotic tablets, 1.10 lakh capsules, over 21,000 drug syrups and 1,828 sedative injections, eight kg of smack, 84 kg of ganja and two kg of charas are lying in police stores. Fact file
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Prof killed in mishap on Barnala road
Bathinda, September 18 Balkar Singh, a professor with the Punjabi University, Patiala, had left his home in Patel Nagar, Bathinda for Patiala in his car. The canter collided with his car while overtaking another vehicle. The collision was head-on and he was seriously injured in the accident. He was admitted by the Bhucho-based voluntary social organiations to a private hospital where he succumbed to his injuries soon after. The investigating officer in the case, ASI Harbans Singh, said that the body has been sent to the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, to conduct the post-mortem examination. The deceased is survived by his wife and a 12-year-old daughter. Prof Balkar Singh was a noted litterateur, critic and author and had many books to his credit. Meanwhile, in another mishap occurred on the Bathinda-Dabwali road, two youths riding a bicycle sustained injuries after a car hit them. |
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Two smugglers held under NDPS Act
Bathinda, September 18 In another incident, the Talwandi Sabo police today claimed to have caught a drug smuggler, Harpal Singh of Sangat Khurd, with 15 kg of poppy husk and seized his motorcycle. A case under various sections of the NDPS Act has been registered at the Talwandi Sabo police station. Car stolen
A local resident, Gaurav Sharma, has stated to the Civil Lines police that some unidentified persons have stolen his car (HR-26-AM-0929) from outside the Big Cinemas yesterday. A case has been registered in this regard and the police was tracing the car. Valuables, cash stolen
Thieves allegedly decamped with Rs 11,000 and other valuables worth Rs 80,000 from the house of one Gian Bhushan of Bhucho Mandi on the intervening night of September 15-16. A case has been registered at the Nathana police station in this regard. Mobile shop burgled
Sandeep Kumar, a shopkeeper of Maur, has reported to the police that some unidentified persons burgled his shop on the intervening night of September 16-17 and fled with mobile phones worth nearly Rs 3.5 lakh. A case under Sections 457 and 380 of the IPC has been registered at Maur police station. Bus driver booked
A resident of Barnala district has lodged a complaint with the Cantonment police that a negligent bus driver allegedly ran over a leg of his wife on September 15 when she was about to board the bus near the Military Hospital. The Cantonment police has booked the accused PRTC bus driver, Bahal Singh, under Sections 279 and 338 of the IPC. |
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